REIGN OF TERROR, 1986-1990 (PART VII)
WHILE RAJIV GANDHI DROPS ‘PARIPPU’ JVP ATTACKS SLAF BASES
By the middle of 1987 the military campaign to liberate Vadamarachchi in the North from the LTTE was successfully moving ahead under the commands of Denzil Kobbekaduwa, Wijaya Wimalaratne and Gerry de Silva. Participating in the battle were 4,300 soldiers equipped with the latest weapons.
National Security Minister Lalith Athulathmudali gave political leadership to “Operation Liberation” which completely freed the Vadamarachchi area from the Tigers on June 3, 1987. While the operation was in progress the then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. G. Ramachandran met Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on May 28, 1987 and complained that Sri Lanka’s military offensive was depriving the Northern Tamils of fuel and medicine and consequently some people were dying. He demanded that the Indian Government take immediate action against Sri Lanka and also obtained permission from the Indian PM to transport relief items from Tamil Nadu by sea to the North of the island.
On the night of June 2, 1987 All India Radio announced that the Tamil Nadu Government was taking steps to send 25 boat loads of rice, powdered milk, canned food and medicines for the Tamil people in the North. The news bulletin also said that 94 persons including Indian and foreign journalists and Red Cross representatives were to be sent as observers.
Despite the vehement opposition of the SL Government and the people 19 boats left the Rameshwaram Port and entered Sri Lanka’s territorial waters on June 3 at 6.00 p.m. The Sri Lanka Naval personnel on board the vessel ‘Edithara’ stopped the Tamil Nadu boats from moving any further on the orders of the Northern Naval Commander Mohan Samarasekera. The officer commanding ‘Edithara’ was Captain Suraj Munasinghe. Minister Athulathmudali and Joint Operations Commander Cyril Ranatunge were in radio communication with the Navy.
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| An Indian plane that transported relief items |
After waiting at sea for three-and-a-half hours, the Tamil Nadu boats left at 9.30 p.m. On June 3 and 4 the Indian High Commission requested all Indian citizens residing in Colombo to leave their homes and move into hotels. Thereafter in a tit-for-tat operation Indian Air Force dropped food parcels and other relief items by air on June 4 at 3.15 p.m. because Sri Lanka had not allowed the Tamil Nadu boats to enter her territorial waters. The Indian government had informed of this to Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in India Bernard Tillekeratne only at 2.30 p.m. less than one hour before the airdrop.
Indian airdropping of relief items
President Jayewardene summoned Army, Navy and Air Force Commanders and ordered them not take any retaliatory action against the Indian airdropping of relief items. The Indian Air Force had deployed five AN 32 transport planes carrying 25 tons of relief items from its Yelahanka base in Bangalore for this purpose. Four MIG fighter jets escorted the transport planes in this mission which was called ‘Operation Pumalai.’
Boxes carrying relief items were dropped by parachute over the Jaffna Peninsula. The airdrop ceased at 5.30 p.m. One transport plane also carried 17 Indian media personnel and 18 reporters as observers from Reuters, BBC, AFP and other news agencies. This operation, which violated Sri Lanka’s sovereignty, aroused the anger and strong condemnation of Sri Lankans.
During this period foreign media was keen on reporting events in Sri Lanka. In addition to Reuter Correspondent Dalton de Silva, Andrew Tanovsky reported from Sri Lanka saying there were country-wide slogans demanding ‘Death to J.R.’ and that people were saying they would throw stones at him and kick him out of power.
On June 17 Sri Lankan Foreign Minister A.C.S. Hameed met Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Foreign Minister Natwar Singh and reached an agreement. Accordingly without Sri Lanka making a request India sent 681 tons of food and medicine by the Indian ship ‘Island Pride’ which called at the Kankesanthurai Harbour. The Sri Lanka government took steps to distribute the items through Cooperatives in the North.
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| Ranil Royal founder-President of the DJV Students Wing (top photo) who was killed while trying to escape in a car after taking part in the attack on the SLAF base Katunayake and the men who directed the attack (from Left): Chief Planner Saman Piyasiri alias Mendis Mahattaya, Shelton Rajapaksa alias Ragama Somay and Air Force Technician Siripala. |
It was the Indian airdrop which compelled the Sri Lankan government to halt the planned military offensive to recapture Jaffna scheduled for the middle of June. All military operations in the North ceased as a result. Minister Athulathmudali was pushed into the background and Minister Gamini Dissanayake came to the forefront.
The JVP had a clear vision since the late 1960s not only of rise of armed Tamil militancy but also of a very possible Indian invasion. The Indian airdrop proved in the eyes of the people that the JVP was correct. The party had already launched an extensive campaign since the end of 1986 to warn Sri Lankans about a Indian occupation. Some of the JVP’s slogans those days were, “J.R. gone mad – People on alert”, “Let’s not allow Sri Lanka to be made India’s 26th Province” and “Kill J.R.” The patriotic struggle the JVP launched in 1986 was mainly to oppose Indian intervention but developed a stgrongly anti-government stance in the process.
Since J.R. did not give the armed forces permission to retaliate against the Indian airdrop or take any other effective action, the JVP announced that a strong response was needed to the Indian intervention. It was a good opportunity to intensify the armed activities of the Deshapremi Janatha Vyaparaya (Patriotic People’s Movement or DJV) which was the JVP’s armed wing.
Provincial Council system
The JVP claimed that they were the only force which could resist the “illegal, treacherous UNP Government, armed Tamil separatism and Indian invasion.” Three days after the Indian airdrop – on June 7, 1987, the DJV launched two armed attacks on the Katunayake Sri Lanka Air Force Base and the Kotalawala Defence Academy, Ratmalana, sending shock waves in the country.
These two operations were planned by Mendis Mahattaya, a Kelaniya University Graduate and member of the JVP politburo. A resident of Ganemulla, his real name was Sellapperuma Saman Piyasiri Fernando alias Keerthi Wijebahu, head of the DJV and chief of the JVP’s armed wing.
The attacks were led by Siripala and Shelton Rajapaksa alias Ragama Somay.
A resident of Kotugodawatte, Siripala was an air force technician. Ragama Somay was a resident of Koswadiya, Gampaha. Although both were taken into custody for questioning, they escaped. They were wanted in connection with a bomb attack on Inspector Tissa Kudahetti, OIC of the Seeduwa Police Station.
The DJV cadres which attacked the Katunayake SLAF Base first met at the ground near the Negombo Prison on June 4, 1987 at 5.00 p.m.
They were divided into four groups. At 7.30 p.m. they were taken in a van to a house at Negombo. Altogether 31 persons gathered there. Mendis Mahattaya briefed them on the country’s political situation and the proposed Provincial Council system. He said that the Indian airdrop would be followed by a land invasion and therefore it was the DJV’s duty to oppose it.
The following day (June 5) too, they remained in the same house. On June 6, at 10 p.m. Mendis Mahattaya said that they should attack the Katunayake air force base and seize weapons to prepare for the Indian invasion. Showing the attackers a hand-drawn map he briefed the attackers on the operation before taking them in a lorry and dropping them off at a by-lane behind the SLAF base.
The operation began soon afterwards. The weapons seized after overpowering air force personnel were transported in hijacked jeeps. Some of the insurgents returned to Colombo by bus leaving Negombo at 4.00 a.m. Three of the attackers had been killed in action. Those who failed to escape were taken into custody. One airman had died in the attack.
Among the three insurgents killed were Ragama Somay and the founder-President of the DJV Students Wing and Kariyapperuma Athukoralage of the Jayawardenapura University Ranil alias Ranil Royal.
On June 7 the DJV issued a statement accepting responsibility for the attacks on the Katunayake SLAF base and the Kotalawala Defence Academy to seize arms. The DJV argued since the weapons were not being used for defence of the motherland against the Indian aggressor patriots should make use of them. It was reported that the insurgents had seized fourteen T-56 firearms, 53 submachine guns, two light machine guns, six pistols and 3300 bullets. This operation increased the JVP’s popularity and caused great admiration for the party among anti-government and anti-Indian groups.
In the meantime plans were underway for a Indo-Lanka Accord with the intervention of Indian Government’s Intelligent Service RAW (Research and Analysis Wing). President Jayewardene had given his unstinting support and blessings for this. The persons involved in this task were Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Jyotindranath Dixit, Co-Editor of The Hindu N. Ram and Minister Gamini Dissanayake.
(The writer is a senior journalist who could be reached at ejournalists@gmail.com)
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