By Dilrukshi Handunnetti
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka
Once the feared symbol of a bloody, decades-long civil war, some of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, better known as the Tamil Tigers, have decided to enter mainstream Sri Lankan politics.
The separatists were militarily defeated in 2009 but from their base in the northern Jaffna district, dominated by Sri Lanka's ethnic Tamil minority and once a hotbed of the civil war, 10 of its former fighters will be candidates in Monday's parliamentry election.
The grouping named Crusaders for Democracy consists of a small number of ex-Tamil Tiger cadres who say they are prepared for a democratic transition to secure the political rights of Tamils.
The move represents a sort of shift from within, with the candidates no longer advocating for a separate state after undergoing a government-run rehabilitation program for former fighters.
“It is a huge shift and one that should be viewed as a positive development. It allows the mainstreaming of ex-LTTE soldiers,” says Rasiah Kirubhakaran, the new group's administrative head. He adds that there is no question of espousing violence, separatism and a federal structure by the new entrants.
“This decision reflects a genuine desire to transform themselves from combatants to politicians and to be mainstreamed. It reflects the acceptance of the principles of democracy, brotherhood and compromise,” he says.
Founded by 300 former militants with Nadesapillai Vidyatharan, former editor of a popular Tamil newspaper, as its convener, Crusaders for Democracy is fielding all of its 10 candidates as an independent group in the island’s northern capital Jaffna, where it believes “there is room to contribute.”
The founders all underwent a rigorous rehabilitation process initiated by the Sri Lankan Government, following the end of the war in 2009.
They were trained in new crafts, ranging from carpentry to upholstering to setting up small businesses. To facilitate their social reintegration process, the rehabilitated cadres were also taught Sinhala, the language of the majority community and English, the recognized link language.
“It is a different approach. It’s political. These are people who have lived through violence and are pained by the protracted war that caused intense suffering to combatants and civilians. The idea is to foster confidence,” explains Vidyatharan.
As part of their rehabilitation process however, the ex-combatants have also remained quiet on the international call, led by the U.N., for a war crimes probe into the final stages of the war, when the government was accused of bombarding civilians.
They had initially sought nominations through the well-established Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the largest Tamil political grouping, only to be cold-shouldered.
They claimed the once formidable TNA was being damaged by internal conflicts, pushing it to "extreme action."
A member of the new political group, Kanakai, told Anadolu Agency that after Monday's election the new political group would begin a “cleansing process within the TNA and would definitely influence it to present the Tamil people in a meaningful manner.”
The Crusaders subsequently presented themselves as an independent group and engaged in house-to-house campaigning in the northern capital, explaining how they differ from other north-based Tamil political parties.
They also take time off to acknowledge their past and to express their desire to contribute to a political process, to ensure the north is not a low priority on the next government’s developmental agenda.
“The crime rate is increasing as does alcoholism and drugs. The existing political parties have failed to control these vices that are making a once culturally rich region lose its identity and the sense of peace that is required for people to resettle and resume normal lives,” says Kirubhakaran, who hopes his party can push for solutions.
The party also sees its attempt to enter the mainstream of politics as a chance for a new breed of politicians to experience parliament.
Vidyatharan says it would mean "no more divisive politics."
"This is an effort to cater to whatever that went missing in the past. Being young, these candidates are well placed to present youth aspirations with strong lessons from their own past. It is an opportunity to make a positive contribution and to work with other political parties to ensure advancement of the North,” says Vidyatharan.
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