It is eighteen years (18) since theoretician of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Anton Balasingam passed away on 14.12.2006.
It was from mid-eighties Anton Balasingam remained a key figure in the LTTE as its theoretician. Whereas political observers who were closely observing his role in the LTTE and the journalists as well as those who had closely associated with him saw him more a mouthpiece to the LTTE leader and not a theoretician who was guiding the outfit politically.
Anton Balasingam who started his career as a journalist at Virakesari , a popular Tamil daily in Sri Lanka was a voracious reader and contributed to the newspaper mainly on philosophical and psychological topics. A follower of Indian philosopher Jittu Krishnamoorthy and remained a down to earth person who had helped whatever way he could to those who sought his help.
From Virakesari he had joined the British High Commission in Colombo where he served as an interpreter. Thereafter in the early eighties he had migrated to the United Kingdom.
It was from London he came in contact with the LTTE which was in his early stages in Tamil Nadu, India. LTTE leader V.Prabhakaran had listened to Anton Balasingam whenever he wanted to get himself cleared on issues he came across. However the LTTE leader always took his own decisions and carried out whatever he intended to do.
With regard to falling in line with the Indo-Lanka Accord and adopting the 13th Amendment to the Constitution to create the Provincial Council system in The North and East, late Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi held a meeting with the LTTE hierarchy in the New Delhi.
During the meeting when Rajiv Gandhi explained about the solution to be meted out to address the North and East Tamil issue. Prabhakaran told Anton Balasingam” Bala Anna you please listen to whatever Rajiv Gandhi says. When we reach Jaffna we could consider about what we could do,”.
Therefore Prabhakaran’s this comment clearly highlighted that Anton Balasingam was merely acted as LTTE leader’s mouth piece and nothing else.
Later whenever LTTE engaged in Talks in Sri Lanka with the Government leaders every move was directed by the LTTE leader.
Anton Balasingam had to listen to Prabhakaran as `Yes Sir, Yes Sir three bags full’.
So it was for name sake Anton Balasingam remained in the outfit as its theoretician and whereas his role was mainly a spokesperson to the LTTE leadership.
Being an acute diabetic patient, Anton Balasingam was always accompanied by his Australian born wife Adele. Adele throughout Anton Balasingam’s life remained a dedicated wife and helped him in his duties during his political engagements as well.
During the last lap of the LTTE’s negotiations with the President Rajapakse’s Government right from the beginning from Thailand and when the talks continued in various other countries Anton Balasingam and his wife Adele accompanied the LTTE delegation and Balasingam played the key role as chief negotiator of the outfit.
The issues to be negotiated during the meetings with the Government delegates headed by then a cabinet Minister Prof. G.L.Peiris were also well briefed by the LTTE leader and the outfit’s delegates were not allowed to hold talks in the manner delegation wanted.
The LTTE’s negotiations were also described as a puppetry and its negotiators were even considered as the puppets manipulated by the LTTE leader. So Anton Balasingam was the main puppet in this puppetry.
Several political observers who were in the good books of Anton Balasingam had mentioned that LTTE leader wouldn’t have got a loyal and an intellectually sound theoretician like Anton Balasingam and if the leadership had listened to Anton Balasingam, the outfit’s destiny would have been different with flourishing even politically.
Whereas the adamant attitude of the LTTE leader had led to his outfit’s defeat and allowed Colombo leaders to take the upper hand in the North and East affair.
When the last round of talks between the LTTE and the Government failed, Anton Balasingam was in frustration and he had even told his close friends, that Prabhakaran was going to be killed and this time he won’t be able to escape.
Finally Balasingam returned to England and led his life with complicated health issues and died on 14.12. 2006.
Therefore Anton Balasingam who once known as theoretician of the now defunct LTTE, was in fact remained largely a mouthpiece to the LTTE leader and nothing else.
