Brigadier Balraj
(born Balasegaram Kandiah) was a senior commander of the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE; ta, தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகள், translit=Tamiḻīḻa viṭutalaip pulikaḷ, si, දෙමළ ඊළාම් විමුක්ති කොටි, t ...
(LTTE).
Early life
Balraj was the fifth and youngest child of Kandiah and Kannagias. He received his primary education in Kokkuthoduwaai (in Mullaitheevu district) and his secondary education in Pulmoddai (in Trincomalee district). After he passed his
O level
The O-Level (Ordinary Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education. It was introduced in place of the School Certificate in 1951 as part of an educational reform alongside the more in-depth ...
s, his parents wanted to send him to university; however, due to civil unrest throughout the country they were unable to do so. Balraj was fluent in
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
,
Sinhala and English. Although none of his siblings joined the Tamil Tigers, some of his nephews and nieces did.
Personal life
At the suggestion of
Velupillai Prabhakaran
Velupillai Prabhakaran (; ta, வேலுப்பிள்ளை பிரபாகரன்; , (26 November 1954 – 18 May 2009) was a Sri Lankan Tamil guerrilla and the founder and leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) ...
(who trusted Balraj), Balraj married Varathaa (a relative of Prabhakaran). The marriage was difficult, and the couple soon separated. Varathaa later died of a snake bite, emotionally affecting Balraj despite their estrangement.
LTTE
As a student, Balraj was recruited by the
People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) by Suntharam (one of its leaders). PLOTE differed from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (
LTTE, the primary Tamil nationalist organisation) in tactics, favouring the widespread formation of sleeper cells over the LTTE's hit-and-run tactics. As a result of this, Balraj had little opportunity to fight in open combat (which frustrated him). He decided to switch allegiance when the 1983 riots began, contacting a teacher who was an LTTE recruiter and accepted Balraj despite his PLOTE background. He was initially a part-time member, becoming a full-time member by 1984. Balraj's ability was recognized by
Mahattaya
Gopalaswamy Mahendraraja (1956 – 28 December 1994), also known as Mahattaya was a member of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam who was killed for leaking secrets to India's RAW.
Personal life
Gopalaswamy Mahendraraja was related to Velu ...
, although he was suspected by Velupillai Prabhakaran due to his PLOTE background and restricted to the role of a helper rather than a fighter.
When conflict began with the
Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF), most of the LTTE leadership fled into the jungle; at this point, Balraj's abilities in
conventional and
psychological warfare
Psychological warfare (PSYWAR), or the basic aspects of modern psychological operations (PsyOp), have been known by many other names or terms, including Military Information Support Operations (MISO), Psy Ops, political warfare, "Hearts and M ...
became known. He commanded the LTTE's first conventional fighting formation, the
Charles Anthony Brigade, which distinguished itself during the Second Battle of Elephant Pass in which Balraj landed by sea (rather than by land) on the
Jaffna
Jaffna (, ) is the capital city of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna District located on a peninsula of the same name. With a population of 88,138 in 2012, Jaffna is Sri Lanka's 12th mo ...
peninsula . The LTTE (unlike many
separatist organisations) was considered the only non-government military organisation capable of complex military manoeuvres, largely as a result of this battle.
Balraj preferred to fight on the front line amidst heavy shelling and bombing, rather than within the confines of a command centre. During his last years, he was often requested by
Prabhakaran
Velupillai Prabhakaran (; ta, வேலுப்பிள்ளை பிரபாகரன்; , (26 November 1954 – 18 May 2009) was a Sri Lankan Tamil guerrilla and the founder and leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) ...
for assistance on the battlefield (where Balraj remained for many hours, impacting his health. After being hospitalized in
Puthukkudiyiruppu, he returned to the battlefield to supervise. According to
Theepan
Velayuthapillai Baheerathakumar ( ta, வேலாயுதபிள்ளை பகீரதகுமார் ''Vēlāyutapiḷḷai Pakīratakumār''; 8 January 1966 – 4 April 2009; commonly known by the nom de guerre Theepan) was a leadi ...
, Balraj participated in an ambush at Munthirikaikkulam in which fourteen SLA soldiers were killed and several weapons seized.
Balraj was aware in 2008 that the
Sri Lankan Army was breaking through the LTTE's defences and would soon capture
Kilinochchi
Kilinochchi ( ta, கிளிநொச்சி, translit=Kiḷinocci; si, කිලිනොච්චි, translit=Girānika) is the main town of Kilinochchi District, Northern Province of Sri Lanka. Kilinochchi is situated at the A9 road so ...
(as they did after Balraj's death, on 2 January 2009), referring to it as the final battle for
Eelam
Eelam ( ta, ஈழம், ''īḻam'', , also spelled Eezham, Ilam or Izham in English) is the native Tamil name for the South Asian island now known as Sri Lanka.
The exact etymology and the original meaning of the word are not clearly know ...
(an accurate prediction, since the LTTE were defeated as a conventional army on 19 May).
Second Battle of Elephant Pass
In the
Second Battle of Elephant Pass
The Second Battle of Elephant Pass (code-named Operation Unceasing Waves III (ஓயாத அலைகள் மூன்று) by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam), was a battle fought in April 2000 for the control of the Sri Lankan mi ...
, Balraj led 1,200 cadres behind enemy lines. The Sri Lankan Army maintained a strong defence, but Balraj cut off their supplies and attacked from three directions (an action considered impossible by a US Advisor visiting the site several months earlier. The attack was noted for heavy Sri Lankan Army casualties (without air support) and because Balraj, instead of taking an overland route, moved by sea with the aid of Colonel
Soosai
Thillaiyampalam Sivanesan ( ta, தில்லையம்பலம் சிவனேசன்; 16 October 1963https://web.archive.org/web/20070202013908/http://www.interpol.int/public/data/wanted/notices/data/2006/76/2006_57476.asp Thillayamp ...
. The operation was facilitated by Brigadier
Theepan
Velayuthapillai Baheerathakumar ( ta, வேலாயுதபிள்ளை பகீரதகுமார் ''Vēlāyutapiḷḷai Pakīratakumār''; 8 January 1966 – 4 April 2009; commonly known by the nom de guerre Theepan) was a leadi ...
and
Karuna Amman
Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan (''nom de guerre'': Colonel Karuna Amman; ta, விநாயகமூர்த்தி முரளிதரன், ''Vināyakamūrtti Muraḷitaraņ'', born 22 June 1966) is a Sri Lankan politician and former ...
, who attacked the Sri Lankan Army south of Elephant Pass and blocked reinforcements.
LTTE military academy
When Balraj's health began to deteriorate, he gave lectures and instructions to LTTE recruits. Balraj taught military strategy, planning and
tactics
Tactic(s) or Tactical may refer to:
* Tactic (method), a conceptual action implemented as one or more specific tasks
** Military tactics, the disposition and maneuver of units on a particular sea or battlefield
** Chess tactics
** Political tact ...
, providing specialised training for LTTE commandos and special forces.
Relationship with Tamils
Balraj interacted with the Tamil people in Sri Lanka as he moved through it, becoming one of the most popular members of the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE; ta, தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகள், translit=Tamiḻīḻa viṭutalaip pulikaḷ, si, දෙමළ ඊළාම් විමුක්ති කොටි, t ...
because of his simplicity and accessibility. Often acting as an intermediary between the Tamil people and the LTTE leadership, he generally travelled on foot or bicycle without a bodyguard rather than in vehicles. This was unique among LTTE commanders, and Balraj's approach to the Tamils created some friction with other LTTE authorities.
Politics
Balraj did not participate in politics, and acknowledged
Velupillai Prabhakaran
Velupillai Prabhakaran (; ta, வேலுப்பிள்ளை பிரபாகரன்; , (26 November 1954 – 18 May 2009) was a Sri Lankan Tamil guerrilla and the founder and leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) ...
as the leader of the LTTE and
Tamil Eelam
Tamil Eelam ( ta, தமிழீழம், ''tamiḻ īḻam''; generally rendered outside Tamil-speaking areas as தமிழ் ஈழம்) is a proposed independent state that many Tamils in Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora ...
.
Health
He was injured before he received military training in
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...
, and was wounded three times in confrontations with the Indian Army. Balraj was frequently wounded in battle against the Sri Lankan Army, and had heart problems; he was hospitalised for two weeks for heart surgery in Singapore during the 2003 ceasefire. His
emotional health
Emotions are mental states brought on by neurophysiological changes, variously associated with thoughts, feelings, behavioral responses, and a degree of pleasure or displeasure. There is currently no scientific consensus on a definition. ...
was severely affected by the death of his wife.
Death
Balraj died on 20 May 2008 at 2:00 p.m. of a heart attack. He was promoted posthumously to ''Brigadier'' because he had been responsible for many LTTE victories on the battlefield against the Sri Lankan Army. A three-day period of mourning, from 21 to 23 May, was declared by the LTTE.
References
External links
Brigadier Balraj passes away - LTTE
{{Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
1965 births
2008 deaths
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam members
Sri Lankan rebels
Sri Lankan Tamil rebels
Indian Peace Keeping Force