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DAMODARAM SANJIVAYYA
NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY

SABBAVARAM, VISAKHAPATNAM, A.P., INDIA

PROJECT TITLE
ROLE OF LIBERATION TIGERS OF TAMIL EELAM (LTTE) IN
INDIA - SRILANKAS RELATIONS

SUBJECT
POLITICAL SCIENCE - 2

NAME OF THE FACULTY

Dr.Y.T. Nirmala Devi

NAME: Eedara Likhitha

ROLL NO:22LLB030
SEMESTER:2nd Semester
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ACKNOWLEGMENT

I heartily and gratefully acknowledge my indebtedness to my project supervisor

Dr Y.T.Nirmala Devi who guided this study from its inception and whose learning
and insights helped me immensely in the writing of the project on the topic
LIBERATION TIGERS OF TAMIL EELAM (LTTE).
Working under her has indeed been a rewarding experience for me.
I would like to extend my gratitude to the DAMODARAM SANJIVAYYA
NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY library and the academic department for their
continuous support and availability of resources and books without which it would
have been impossible to complete this project within the stipulated time frame.
I would also like to express my gratitude to my parents and classmates for their
unconditional support, as well as their ideas and viewpoints, which helped me move
forward with my project.”

Eedara Likhitha
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ABSTRACT
India’s relations with Sri Lanka is dated back to 2,500 years. These countries share
similitude in culture, ethics, religion, and intellect. India and Sri Lanka had very good
relations from the time of Partition. But later these relations began to weaken with the
conflicts between Tamil and Sinhalese people. This led to the birth of one of the most
ferocious terrorist organisation in Sri Lanka, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE). +This group started as a small organisation with 40-50 members and has
raised to several thousand people organisation by 1980s.
This group was extensively known for its organisational adaptability, advanced
military and its ability to strike at will. LTTE has played many roles in Sri Lanka like
a political body, governing authority, guerrilla force, conventional army and a terrorist
organisation. LTTE has claimed itself to be the sole representative of Tamil people in
the north and north eastern part of Sinhalese dominated island nation. It has conducted
highest number of suicide attacks in the world. Its activities also include the
assassination of two nations’ heads and many others.
India has sent army to control the activities of LTTE in Sri Lanka as per the Indian-
Sri Lankan agreement they made in 1987. With the assassination of former Prime
Minister Rajiv Gandhi, India has maintained a strict naval cordon sanitaire around the
area of conflict, which showed no signs of abating. This had a severe influence on the
relations between India and Sri Lanka. This study focuses on the background of
establishment of LTTE, its activities, how its activities are controlled, its influence on
the relations between India and Sri Lanka and the present status of LTTE.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
S.no Topic Page no.
1. Objective of the study 5
2. Scope and significance of the study 5
3. Literature Review 5
4. Introduction 6
5. History & Background 7
6. Divisions of LTTE 7
7. Ideology 9
8. South Asia Region and Indo- Sri Lanka 10
Relations
9. Ethnic Conflict of Sri Lanka and India 11
10. Fishing Disputes 13
11. Human Rights Issues and India 13
12. Conclusion 14
13. Bibliography 15
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Objectives of the Study:

 “The objective of study is to know about what actually is LTTE.
 The objective of study is to observe how this organization functioned.
 The main objective of study is to analysis the reasons which led to banning of
this LTTE.
 This study even includes the after effects of LTTE and its effect on India.
 And also, to know how this organization changed the relations of India and Sri
Lanka.”

Scope of the Study

The study is confined to the role of LTTE in India- Sri Lanka relations.

Significance of study
“The research will help us in comprehending the past, present, and future of legal
perspectives, as well as their implementation in the society.”

Literature Review
“The researcher has gone through various books and articles published in journals
related to LTTE and India- Sri Lanka relations.”
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INTROUDUCTION
India is Sri Lanka’s closest neighbour. But at a certain point of time where these two
had clashes, and from among those clashes the most horrific time was from 1976 to
2009 where LIBERATION TIGERS OF TAMIL EELAM (LTTE) had control over
more than 70% of Sri Lanka. North-eastern Sri Lanka was the base for the Tamil
terrorist group known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Due to ongoing
prejudice and brutal persecution of Sri Lankan Tamils by the Sinhalese-dominated Sri
Lankan Government, the LTTE sought to establish an independent Tamil state dubbed
Tamil Eelam in the north-east of the island.
The LTTE, which Velupillai Prabhakaran founded in May 1976, engaged in violent
conflict with the Sri Lankan government and its military forces. Sinhalese mobs
continued to oppress Sri Lankan Tamils, most notably during the 1981 Jaffna Public
Library fire and the 1977 anti-Tamil pogrom.
The Sri Lankan Civil War began as a result of the LTTE's development of sporadic
fighting into a full-scale nationalist insurgency after the week-long anti-Tamil pogrom
carried out by Sinhalese mobs in July 1983 that became known as Black July.
Prabhakaran's status as a freedom guerrilla fighter led to comparisons to revolutionary
Che Guevara by the international media, though Prabhakaran's actions were also
widely perceived as terroristic at the time. The LTTE was by this point widely
regarded as the most powerful Tamil militant group in Sri Lanka and among the most
feared guerrilla forces in the world.
Due to shifts in the former's foreign policy over the phase of the conflict, India's
relationship with the LTTE in particular was complicated. It shifted from initially
assisting the organization to directly engaging it in battle through the Indian Peace
Keeping Force (IPKF). In addition to killing some high-profile individuals, such as
former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 and Sri Lankan President
Ranasinghe Premadasa in 1993, the LTTE also acquired infamy for deploying women
and children as combatants. Consequently, 33 nations, including the European Union,
Canada, the United States, and India, have recognized the LTTE as a terrorist
organisation.
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HISTORY & BACKGROUND

“The LTTE is said to have its roots in historical interethnic imbalances between the
Sinhalese and Tamil populations. Following the country's independence, Sri Lankan
governments made an effort to lessen the growing representation of the Tamil
minority in public employment. This led to racial discrimination, the sowing of hatred
and division through laws like the "Sinhala Only Act", and the emergence of
separatist ideologies among many Tamil leaders. By the 1970s, the LTTE's violent
separatist insurrection had been justified by the original nonviolent political battle for
an independent Tamil state.”

RISE TO POWER
“The Tamil New Tigers (TNT), with Thanabalasingham as its head, were established
in 1972 as a result of Prabhakaran's collaboration with Chetti Thanabalasingam of
Jaffna. He was assassinated, and Prabhakaran seized over. The Tamil New Tigers
were replaced by the LTTE, which was established on May 5th, 1976. It adopted Uma
Maheswaran as its leader and Prabhakaran as its military supremo. Additionally, a
five-person committee was chosen. According to terrorism analyst Rohan Gunaratna,
Prabhakaran wanted to "refashion the old TNT/new LTTE into an elite, ruthlessly
efficient, and highly professional combat force." Small group sizes and rigorous
training regimens were maintained by Prabhakaran. Inconspicuous attacks by the
LTTE were made against members of the government, including police officers and
regional leaders.”

DIVISIONS OF LTTE
The LTTE was perceived as a well-organized, militarised force with a strong military
and organisational background. The political, intelligence, and military wings of the
LTTE were its three main divisions.1
MILITARY WING
The military wing consisted of at least 11 separate divisions including the
conventional fighting forces.

1
Wilson, A. J. (2000) Sri Lankan Tamil Nationalism: Its Origins and Development in the Nineteenth and
Twentieth Centuries. Sydney: C. Hurst & Co. Publishers. pp. 24, 131–132
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 BLACK TIGERS (Suicide Wing)

The LTTE division known as Black Tigers was responsible for the country's
suicide operations in the South and other regions. It was made up of chosen
cadres from various regiments. The attack by Captain Miller, who drove an
explosive-laden vehicle into a Sri Lankan Army base in Nelliady Madhya
Maha Vidyalaya, Jaffna, killing himself and 128 troops, led to the formation
of the division in July 1987. It was the first time a Black Tiger had blown
himself up.
The LTTE claimed that 378 black tigers had committed suicide attacks
between 5 July 1987 and 20 November 2008.
Attacks by the Black Tiger wing were made against a number of prominent
leaders both inside and outside of Sri Lanka. It was the only rebel organisation
to successfully attack three world presidents. This includes the murder of
Rajiv Gandhi, the former prime minister of India, on May 21, 1991;
Ranasinghe Premadasa, the president of Sri Lanka, on May 1, 1993; and
Chandrika Kumaratunga, the president of Sri Lanka, who was the target of a
botched assassination attempt on December 18, 1999, resulting in the loss of
her right eye.

 SEA TIGERS (Naval Wing)

“The LTTE's naval branch, the Sea Tigers, was established in 1984. It has
sunk one Sri Lanka Navy ship and at least 29 Sri Lankan Navy small inshore
patrol boats throughout its lifespan. The Sea Tigers also possessed a number
of modest but capable suicide boat attacks that they used to launch a number
of assaults against Sri Lankan military and civilian ports and shipping. Soosai
was the leader of the Sea Tigers, who had their primary stronghold in
Mullaitivu on Sri Lanka's northeastern coast. By the end of 2008, the Sri
Lankan Army had taken more of the Sea Tigers' outposts, including
Viduthalathivu and Nachchikuda, and the Sri Lankan Navy had tightly walled
off the Northern Sea.
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 AIR TIGERS (Air Wing)

The LTTE's aviation wing was known as Air Tigers. Since its discovery
during the first attack in March 2007, the LTTE has been the only terrorist
group in the world (apart from ISIS) that is known to have acquired and
operated aircraft. Its presence has long been a topic of rumours. Colonel
Shankar is credited by the LTTE with founding the Air Tigers branch. The Sri
Lanka Air Force would not confirm this, however there have been several
reports of unidentifiable aircraft being spotted in the Mullaitivu skies.
However, it wasn't until they attacked Katunayake Air Force Base in March
2007 that these planes were finally identified. Eight additional strikes on
military targets came after this.
Eight additional strikes on military targets came after this. The final one
occurred in February 2009 when a suicide air strike was launched against the
Sri Lanka Air Force headquarters in Colombo. The Sri Lankan Army took
control of seven LTTE-owned aeroplane runways during the Northern
operation.”

IDEALOGY OF LTTE
“The LTTE was a self-described national liberation group whose main
objective was to form an independent Tamil state. Its worldview was mostly
based on Tamil nationalism.2 Subhas Chandra Bose and other Indian liberation
warriors had an impact on the LTTE. The group renounced its status as a
separatist organisation and declared that its goals were self-determination and
the reestablishment of sovereignty in what it saw as its homeland. Even
though the majority of Tigers were Hindus, the LTTE was avowedly a secular
organisation, and religion had little to no role in its ideology.3
Rather than only demanding independence from the Sri Lankan government,
the LTTE positioned itself as a revolutionary force aiming to transform Tamil
society as a whole. As a result, its philosophy advocated for the abolition of
caste prejudice and backing for the freedom of women.”

2
"The American government's assessment of Prabhakaran". LankaWeb. Archived from the original on
24 October 2007.
3
. Mohan, C. R. (2011). India and the Tamil issue in Sri Lanka: A study in international
relations. Routledge
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LTTE claims to strive for a democratic, secular state that is based

on socialism.4

SOUTH ASIA REGION AND INDO –SRI LANKA RELATIONS

“The position of Sri Lanka in the South Asian state-system has changed significantly
in recent years, in part as a result of the island's internal conflict escalating and
internalising, and in part as a result of India and other major powers' increased interest
in Sri Lanka as a strategic ally due to shifting political landscapes both globally and
within the region.
The background of India-Sri Lanka ties has changed during the 1990s, along with
India's conceptions of its foreign policy.
The battle against the LTTE, the strengthening of ties between China and Sri Lanka,
and changes in the strategic landscape in South Asia have all contributed to certain
changes in the geostrategic context in which Indo-Sri Lankan interactions have been
taking place in recent years.
However, the fundamental aspect of this relationship—the peace that followed the
conflict in Sri Lanka—remains constant throughout time.
Since Sri Lanka's independence, India's ties with it have had several ups and downs.
This is a result of many foreign big powers' schemes as well as the innate mistrust that
Sri Lanka feels for India and vice versa. However, excellent relations with India have
long been seen as the cornerstone of Sri Lanka's foreign policy, and India also bases
her foreign policy on good relations with her South Asian neighbours.5
India has provided Sri Lanka with major humanitarian aid since since the LTTE was
crushed in 2009. This has included providing financing for infrastructure and
development projects in the north-east as well as direct assistance to the Rajapaksa
administration and the Tamil National Alliance in order to promote a process that
would result in political devolution and power sharing. The overall discomfort
between the two neighbours has been exacerbated by Sri Lanka's growing economic
and political ties to China, its defence ties with Pakistan, and its government's
contempt for Indian public and private pressure to support political devolution.6 ”

4
Niels Terpstra & Georg Frerks (2017). "Rebel Governance and Legitimacy: Understanding the Impact
of Rebel Legitimation on Civilian Compliance with the LTTE Rule"
5
India and Sri Lanka after the LTTE, ICG,Asia Report ,N°206 – 23 June 2011.
6
ICG,(2012), Sri Lanka: Tamil Politics and the Quest for a Political Solution Crisis Group Asia Report
N°239, 20 November 2012
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ETHINIC CONFLICT OF SRILANKA AND INDIA

India had a distinctive role in the battle. The majority of Tamils were of Indian
descent, and Tamil Nadu, an Indian state, was home to their ethnic group, which put
pressure on the Indian government to intervene in the war. India welcomed the Tamil
immigrants and helped them as well. In addition to sending soldiers to Sri Lanka,
India played a specific role in the peace talks. India's position has significantly shifted
in the new geopolitical environment created by the defeat of the pro-Tamil uprising
from that of an anti-rebellion partner to one of a partner in Sri Lanka's growth and
rehabilitation.7
Over the last three decades, India has tried a number of different policy strategies, but
none of them has been able to guarantee minority rights or bring an end to Sri Lanka's
ethnic problems in a peaceful manner. In reality, previous actions have exacerbated
the conflict and increased popular scepticism of India's motives in vast segments of
Sri Lanka.
India, the "regional force" in South Asia, has been the player most deeply and
constantly embroiled in the Sri Lankan civil war, despite the fact that several actors
from across the world were involved in this conflict in various ways. Over the past
few decades, India has experienced a variety of negative security externalities,
including the constant flow of Tamil refugees fleeing the island, the establishment of
an LTTE network in the country's south, and—most significantly—the state of Tamil
Nadu's Tamil population's intense interest in Sri Lankan affairs.
Two key factors influenced India's policy reaction to the crisis in Sri Lanka: the Sri
Lankan government's active engagement of foreign influence and calls from India's
own Tamil community for India to act on behalf of the Sri Lankan Tamils. Sri Lanka
sought for a military solution to the crisis by appealing to nations outside of India,
whose presence felt uneasy on its southern border.
The events in Sri Lanka in July 1983 alarmed India, and under Prime Minister Indira
Gandhi at the time, the Indian government pushed its influence on the issue as a
regional force, kin state, and near neighbour.
India had a distinctive role in the battle. The majority of Tamils were of Indian
descent, and Tamil Nadu, an Indian state, was home to their ethnic group, which put
pressure on the Indian government to intervene in the war. India welcomed the Tamil

7
S.D. Muni:1993
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immigrants and helped them as well. India was particularly involved in the peace talks
and dispatched soldiers to Sri Lanka.
For the past three decades, India's official stance on the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka
has been unambiguous and mostly consistent. India has backed more rights for Tamils
and other minorities while opposing the LTTE's violent and terrorist campaign for a
separate state of Tamil Eelam.
India took additional action by sending the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) to Sri
Lanka's north and east, and at the same time forced the government of Sri Lanka to
sign the Indo-Lanka Agreement to Establish Peace and Normalcy in Sri Lanka, also
known as the "Indo-Lanka Accord". President J.R. Jayawardene of Sri Lanka and
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi of India signed the Indo-Lanka Agreement to Establish
Peace and Normalcy in Sri Lanka on July 29, 1987, in Colombo. Tamil became an
official language under the agreement.
India provided Sri Lanka with critical military and diplomatic support for the defeat
of the Tamil Tigers in the last stages of the conflict due to its support for Sri Lanka's
territorial integrity and its fervent hatred of the LTTE. The Sri Lankan government
committed to alleviate the political exclusion of the Tamil population by giving more
authority to provincial councils once the conflict ended.
While trying to exert pressure on the GOSL, which is largely Sinhalese, to be more
receptive to Tamil ambitions and demands, India did not seek to create a distinct
Tamil state in Sri Lanka.
However still, the political climate that persisted during the latter months of the
Rajapaksa administration allowed China and India to become involved in Sri Lankan
affairs. India was concerned about Sri Lanka's extensive investment of infrastructure
projects like airports and harbours because it may have geostrategic repercussions.
From the time of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, India has, of course, expressed worry
about any foreign force entering Sri Lanka, including Pakistan, if it deems it to be
against her interests.
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FISHING DISPUTES
“Only after a violent ethnic conflict broke out between Tamil separatists and the Sri
Lankan government in the middle of the 1980s had the issue of fishermen come to
light. The possible irritation in the otherwise positive bilateral ties between India and
Sri Lanka is the problem of fishermen invading each other's territorial seas.
Nonetheless, the conclusion of the conflict has led to the loosening of fishing
regulations throughout Sri Lankan shores, allowing its fishermen to explore into the
surrounding waters without any fear.8
Relations between the two nations are being strained by the resurgence of long-
standing disputes between fishermen from South India and fishermen from Sri Lanka
and the Sri Lankan navy. Fishermen have been detained and even killed after crossing
the maritime border for years. The present debate is on Tamil Nadu fishermen who
enter Sri Lankan seas to take advantage of the latter's richer resources. The bottom
trawlers employed by their Indian counterparts, according to Sri Lankan Tamil
fishermen who have endured decades of fishing restrictions intended to stop LTTE
smuggling, threaten to destroy fish stocks on the Sri Lankan side after depleting
resources in Indian seas.9
South India cannot be overlooked by either Sri Lanka or the Indian government in the
search for a solution to the fishermen's problem. Dr. Subramaniam Swamy, one of the
most important policy advisers to the BJP government, stated during a recent visit to
Colombo that Tamil Nadu's veto power is a vulnerability in India's strategy towards
Sri Lanka. He continued by saying that this circumstance wouldn't hold true under the
present administration. Although while this is a compliment to Sri Lanka, it is
important to remember that South India is its nearest neighbour. These kinds of
problems might arise in a situation when territorial boundaries are close together. This
issue will only persist if both nations are unable to come to an appropriate solution.”

HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES AND INDIA

“India also supported Sri Lanka diplomatically in forums throughout the world after
the conflict ended. The United Nations Human Rights Council conducted a special
session on May 28, 2009, to look into the alleged war crimes and atrocities committed
by the LTTE and the Sri Lankan military forces. India was one of the 24 nations that

8
N Manoharan:2012
9
Arun Janardhanan:2011
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supported the U.S. draught resolution on Sri Lanka's responsibility for human rights
breaches, which was adopted during the UNHRC's 19th session in Geneva. A
significant change from the past in India-Sri Lanka ties may be attributed to India's
vote in favour of the U.S. resolution.
India was one of the twenty-four nations that supported the resolution that criticised
Sri Lanka for its subpar human rights record and called for an immediate political
solution to end its ethnic division. It was a very unusual act. That surprised many
people not just in Sri Lanka but also in India and the West.”
The Indian vote sent a loud and obvious statement that Delhi had had enough.
Following the vote in Geneva, Manmohan Singh clarified; “What we did was in
line with our stand on Sri Lanka. We did not want to infringe on the sovereignty of Sri
Lanka but our concerns should be expressed so that Tamil people can get justice and
lead a life of dignity.”10

CONCLUSION
The numerous issues affecting Indo-Sri Lanka ties, including the ethnic war and
reconciliation process, the fisheries issue, and China's participation, among others,
reveal a consistent thread underpinning the two countries' relations: mistrust and
suspicion of one another. With Colombo's strong opposition and willingness to play
China off against India and Western countries under the Mahinda government, India's
strategy to Sri Lanka has so far failed to accomplish its declared goals.
A noticeable change in the Indian government's Sri Lanka policy emerged in the post-
LTTE era. Modi's new administration undoubtedly made a real attempt to win over
the Sri Lankan administration by curbing militant Tamil activities in India. Of course,
this strategy was a component of the new administration's broader initiative to foster
improved relations between India and its neighbours. In-depth cooperation and
agreement are required for a long-term solution to all of the issues, which at this point
looks like a pipe dream. In this context, India and Sri Lanka should collaborate to
create wealth and win-win outcomes throughout South Asia.

10
M.R. Narayan Swamy:2012
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Bibliography
“1.Bose, S. (2014). Contested lands and international conflict: The case of Sri Lanka.
Routledge.
2.Dissanayake, W. (2007). The LTTE and the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord. In S.
Narasimhan (Ed.), Sri Lanka: From war to peace (pp. 143-157). Sage Publications.
3.Dixit, J. N. (2002). Assignment Colombo: A report on the civil war in Sri
Lanka. Penguin Books.
4. Mohan, C. R. (2011). India and the Tamil issue in Sri Lanka: A study in
international relations. Routledge.”