The Government of India has decided to extend the ban imposed on the terrorist organisation LTTE for an additional five years.
The Ministry of Home Affairs of the country has formally announced this extension through a statement.
This decision reflects the government’s stance on LTTE’s involvement in activities that pose a threat to the unity and security of the nation, leading to its inclusion in the list of banned organisations.
Eelam is no longer abandoned
Despite the defeat of the LTTE in Sri Lanka in May 2009, they have not abandoned the concept of ‘Eelam’, the Ministry of Home Affairs of India points out.
Also, it has been revealed that the LTTE is secretly engaged in various organisational activities for the ‘Eelam’ concept and fundraising for the terrorist organisation.
LTTE is a threat to India
The statement issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs of India further states that the LTTE is continuously spreading its separatist views within India and especially amongst the people of Tamil Nadu state, and it has been identified as a factor affecting the territorial integrity of the whole of India.
American opinion
In the meantime, India has confirmed that the points shown in a special report of the US State Department in 2014 on the spread of terrorism globally are still valid today.
According to the report, nineteen organisations can be identified advocating for the revival of the activities of the LTTE. The government of Sri Lanka is implementing an anti-terrorist program with the American government.
Still, some reports have indicated that the activities have been limited in the past few years. The issue presented by the US State Department in 2014 that terrorist organisations are likely to use Sri Lanka as a money laundering centre due to the problems with the transparency of financial transactions in Sri Lanka is still significant today.
Activism of the Tamil Diaspora
It is no secret that the LTTE created an international network with the help of the Tamil diaspora. Under the influence of the worldwide media, extensive publicity was carried out about the organisation, and thus, the Tigers managed to collect a large amount of funds.
They had large-scale businesses spread across the globe, which gave them unlimited opportunities to carry the LTTE forward successfully.
The impact of the LTTE on the Tamil people
The First World War lasted for four years. The Second World War ended in six years. However, the war for Tamil Eelam dragged on for decades, during which the Tamil people also became part of a vicious cycle of death, pain, distrust and displacement.
Many people left the country as a by-product, and 48% of the Tamil remained in the North-Eastern provinces. The LTTE’s contribution to restoring the lost rights of the Tamils was not enough, and it was a disorganised programme.
It became the belief of the vast majority of Tamils that the Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran acted to put the lives of the entire Tamil people on the line for Tamil Eelam.
At present, there is no Prabhakaran or LTTE organisation. But the great disaster he did to the Tamil people will remain indelible for a long time. However, states like India are still at a more advanced level about LTTE or terrorist activities.
