Driven To Their Death In Vain

They were brutal. They were trained from their childhood to hate, murder and to believe whatever said by their leader as the ultimate truth. They had started their bloody careers in the LTTE as its "baby killers". When they were lead to commit village massacres, they began with throwing infants to wells and drowned them, they next smashed babies on tree trunks while their mothers watched in horror and grief, they ripped open the wombs of pregnant mothers, clubbed and chopped women and the unborn to death without the least ruffle . Grown into the teens they were sent to the battlefield to fight with the Armed forces. Those who survived won favours of their seniors to rise up in the ranks and became "leaders", "experts", "special leaders", etc in the terror outfit.They were well honed terrorists. But, they were different from those who robbed their childhood; from those who financed the outfit that destroyed their lives and those who have made their sufferings a lucrative business. They were different because they died for the cause that they truly believed in. We refer to those middle-level terrorist leaders killed in action in Puthukkudiyiruppu.

They were different from their leader, V. Prabhakaran, a megalomaniac, who treats Sri Lankan Tamils as serfs in his personal fiefdom. They believed Prabhakaran when he called himself the "Sun God" and carried out mindless crimes as ordered by him. They never questioned his leadership though he always chose to hide in the background, using the cover of women and children. They never suspected him to be suffering from necrophilia though they saw his ghastly face lighted up every time he sees a dead body. They never knew that they died for a coward and psychopath who live an evil dream.
They were different form Pottu Amman, the back stabbing master and the tale carrying expert of the LTTE. They never suspected his so-claimed expertise in intelligence operations, though they saw him killing hundreds of LTTE cadres, including some of its founding members, just to clear his path to success in terror. They saw him exploit the mentally weak leadership, misappropriating funds, making profits, distancing the outfit from the people and creating a reign of terror. They were too late when they realised that they had been following the orders of a mean spirited coward who knew nothing about battle but was overly obsessed with grabbing the leadership of the outfit after its dying leader.
They were different from, Swarnam, Bhanu, Soosai, and Nadesan who called themselves the ruling elite of the LTTE. They never questioned their extravagant lives, scandalous behaviour, and obvious cowardice. They planned their battles and fought fiercely for the cause they believed in, leaving the credit, praise and profit to their so-called ruling elites

They were different from the so-called Tamil Diaspora who spend luxurious lives in western countries and whose battle is limited to the Internet. They knew that the war they were fighting was just like a cricket match to the so-called Diaspora Tamils. But they continued to do so as they knew that they have to keep the image of a false "Diaspora" entertained to get the much needed funds for the cause they were made to believe in. Like so many others they swallowed without question that there is a Tamil Diaspora out there, scattered throughout the world, waiting to return to a lost homeland. They did not know that hardly any of those who claimed to be or were described as the "Diaspora" would ever want to rub shoulders with them anywhere on earth.
They were different form the NGO lot who made a lucrative business from the sufferings of others. They did not knew that there is a group of contemptible people who receive great salaries, enjoy routine tours to Western countries (with shopping and other delights, too), and receive international awards allegedly for fighting for media rights, human rights ,etc., covering up the violence they champion and encourage in the name of liberation. They knew not that this group never wanted them to realise their cause nor to ever stop fighting. Hardly did they know anything of the existence of Deshapriayas, Imalkas, Pakiasothies, Wickramabahus, Haththotuwas, etc who make their living by the continued and sustained sufferings of the others.

They were different from the politicians who would instigate communal hatred to grab power or tell the most abominable lies against their own country just to get some media attention, and other rewards. They never knew that it was because of such politicians that they had to fight against their own country, their own people.
The men and women in the professional arms of the security forces value honour more than anything else. They fight for the cause they believe in and seek honour by contributing towards its realisation.

This is the reason that the armed forces personnel are trained to respect the fallen enemy. We do not wish to insult Theepan, Vidusha, Durga, Gadhapi, Gopith, Nagesh, and the rest who died in the recent fighting. Indeed, they were the cream of the LTTE fighting cadre. It is a shame that they had to die for the wrong cause. They fought for the destruction of their own motherland and their own nation. Their deaths represent the end of the brutal terrorist outfit that devoured some 75,000 lives of Sri Lankan citizens, the lives of their own brethren. But, the mean spirited that mislead them, still desire more deaths, and continued bloodshed in this country. We dedicate this editorial to all Sri Lankans who fully realise the diverse forces that by misleading and misguiding the flower of our youth, brought death and destruction to our country, and are now determined to say - Never Again.