For the freedom struggle
For the freedom struggle
The village of Iralkuli is a small island with natural beauty, where the Ganga River meets the harbor sea through two rivers. During the rainy season, the river overflows and the water flows. And during the summer, the water flows in the canals as the water is pumped into the rivers.
The water coming through the canals cools the crops, the crops grow and flourish, and the riverbanks look like a green paradise. The life of the people of the village was intertwined with such natural features. Although there was poverty in the houses of these people, there was no poverty in their minds.
In this village, Sivabala lived happily with his beloved wife and three children. His public service and public interest made him a respected person in the hearts of the people. You can always see him with a smiling face. His beautiful heart, beautiful body, and mental strength showed him to be a man of high character. The people of his village lived freely without being dominated by anyone. Even when the ethnic riots broke out, the village was not affected in any way. However, it left a scar in Sivabala´s mind. Even when the violence in the ethnic riots subsided and calmed down, Sivabala´s mind did not find peace. Tamil nationalist sentiments kept rising and roaring in his mind. The echoes of those waves reached the ears of the LTTE fighters, and Sivabala started giving his daily labor for the LTTE movement in 1985. At that time, the fighters had also intensified their work.
Senior commander Ganesh came to Sivabala’s house and ate and socialized. After a few weeks, the fighters Kethees, Theepan, Ravi, and Moorthy camped near Sivabala’s house. From then on, Sivabala’s house and shop began to serve the fighters fully. His duties included providing physical support to the fighters during long journeys, providing food, establishing contact with new recruits, and selecting safe hiding places in times of crisis. He had the habit of first serving snacks to the fighters who came to his house and relieved their fatigue, and only after starting to talk to them.
As the fighters’ work expanded, the eyes of the Sinhala soldiers also widened on the village. The Sinhala soldiers entered the village to hunt the LTTE fighters. The village was shaken by the continuous gunfire heard in front of Sivabala’s house. Sivabala ran towards the fighters’ location. There, the fighter Kethees was lying in a pool of blood. Seeing the scene of a fighter embracing heroism for the first time in person, Sivabala’s eyes showed a lot of sadness. The elder brother regained his courage and, having learned about the movements of the Sinhalese soldiers, whispered to the fighters. He expanded his routes and began to monitor the town.
During this period, a very tight embargo was implemented. The town became a target for the bloodthirsty hunts and rampages of the Sinhalese. He worked with immense faith and courage during these difficult times and helped the fighters to get out of their misery. His brother’s house functioned as a distribution center. It provided supplies to the 3rd Colony camp of the fighters, the Savar camp, and the Iralkuli camp. He and his family performed these services at the risk of their lives in difficult conditions. Time moved on and the Indian forces occupied the homeland. The Tamils thought that their time of liberation had come. But those hopes were shattered within a few months. The Tamils were forced to live in a state of mourning without even being able to speak freely.
In his brother’s village, there were many problems that were raised by the Indian army. Due to this, the village reached the peak of the crisis. The fighters also limited their public movements. But Sivabala and his family spent many sleepless nights for the good of the Tamil people. He arranged a safe hideout for the fighters Ramesh, Robin, Sivanesan, Sanjay and Roy in the Nannikanna forest and became the one who fulfilled all their needs. During such a period, he also did military work by keeping weapons in a hideout and retrieving them when needed. Sivabala had planned to announce the danger so that the fighters would not face any danger. He used to hang a ‘shopping bag’ on a pole to warn the Indian army that the attack was waiting for them in the village.
He used to spy on the military activities of the Indian army coming and going by boats and share intelligence with the fighters. He would then go with the fighters who went to attack. While doing this, he was arrested by the Indian army. Although my brother was a prisoner, he did not disclose any information to the Indian army about the militants’ hideout, weapons cache, support for the militants among the people, and hiding places. His extraordinary courage led to his release. The Indian troops stationed in the homeland and the military crisis had subsided for a few months.
After a few months of clashes with the Sinhalese troops, my brother became an intensely wanted person. My brother left his wife and children and lived a life of hiding with the militants. He had to spend those days in the Nanni Kannakkattu area. During these times, the village was sleeping amidst the figthers who were moving in white light as the light of the full moon fell on the sand, but my brother’s house did not sleep even when the village was sleeping. My brother woke up at dawn as usual.
That morning, the cool breeze with the scent of the village, which was gently blowing, touched his body, and somehow his eyes became moist. The spy, who saw him bathing in the well of his house… “What, brother, are you standing at home today without any warning?” he asked. He replied, “Today I have come to eat with my wife and children and cook delicious food for the fighters and take it away.” At that moment, the sounds of gunshots froze the whole village. While his brother was bathing, his eldest son Mohan was lying in a pool of blood, mutilated by gunshots. Both embraced death at the same time. His beloved wife and children burst into tears and their words fell to pieces, leaving everyone in a state of grief when his relatives and the villagers gathered there. The house where he had lived happily with his wife and children, eating, sleeping and sleeping, was plunged into grief. Even though the fighters who had remained behind in his warmth tried to hide their feelings of sadness, their faces failed, on the one hand, pain, and on the other, their memories were revealed.
Many were the days when my brother was not happy. Many were the hardships and sufferings he experienced. Through his tireless work, he became the seed of the freedom struggle. My brother did not live for himself but worked and lived for the light of the Tamil nation. He dedicated himself and his family for the greater good of the Tamil people. Even after his passing, the great deeds he did will never be forgotten. History will never forget such great men.
- Kabilan
(Translation by Kaanagan)
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