It is painful to come across a belated news that LTTE think tank and well balanced Eelam leader of erstewhile EROS, Ka.Ve. Balakumaran and LTTE’s another front line leader Yogaratnam Yogi were also killed in last year Mullivaaikkal massacre, the news quoting a minister TU Gunasekhara, said that the minister had met widows of both the leaders and discussed about rehabilitation.

Bala as he well know among South Indian journalists is more press friendly. A balanced, well read tried hard to bring all the militant groups two times. He was architect of ENLF which included Tamil Tigers also.

Balakumar, basically a left oriented leader, was the only leader fought for  Plantation Tamils also. Inspite of his differnce of opinion with EPRLF leader Padmanabha, he maintained corial relationship with him .  The reports from Eelam earlier said that Prabhakaran had good regards to Balakumar.

Balakumar was every now then was seriously discussed by Anton Balasingham during talks before Indo Srilankan accord. Once Anton Balasingham himself told this reporter that Balakumar is one of the promising Eelam leaders.

Bala succeded the leadership after its founder Rathnasabapathy fell ill and settled down in London.

When the Eelam National Liberation Front  (ENLF) was created to bring all the four major Eelam liberation organizations under one umbrella, Balakumar’s led EROS office was converted as ENLF office, means all the leaders trusted him.

Another milestone in Balakumar’s political life, he negotiated with the charismatic leader Vijayakumara Thunga, who then was assassinated. Kumarathunga a left – lenient was considered to be alternative for two major parties in Island nation UNP and SLFP. After his assassination the party vanished.

V Balakumar a former Bank officer led several union activities. During Eelam struggle he quit the post and mobilized students organization. His EROS was functioning more as intellectual organizations than militant organization. EROS conducted several seminars, conference in major Indian cities to create awareness of the ethnic issue.

It must be recalled that after the Indo Sri Lanka agreement signed in Colombo, when all other organizations were busy to find berth in newly created North-East province, EROS was busy in economic rehabilitation of farmers, fishermen folk, even set up small scale industries in the Batticaloa, eastern district of SriLanka.

After merging his organization with LTTE, Bala was separated from Shankar Raji, who was always with him in many issues.

Balakumar was made chief of literary wing of LTTE and once handled Education affairs in the defacto government of “Tamil Eelam”.

Balakumar then modified  his name as Ka.Ve. Balakumaran, then married a widow nurse and gave birth to a son named as ‘Suriya Theeban’.

Perhaps Balakumaran was the only Eelam militant organization leader was not charged with any subversion or criminal charges. Even there was criminal case against Padmanabha for treason.

Lover of Tamil poems Bala was fluent in English also. Chaired many literary meets in Jaffna during war time and peace time.

In one of his interviews he cautioned that Sri Lanka might become a state like Lybia. Time will tell his prediction was right or wrong.

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Paaki