New Delhi, India: January 12, 2008 – IR Summary - Dr. Raj Baldev, Chairman, National Integration Assembly (NIA) gave his comments on the FBI report and India’s External Affairs Minister Mr. Pranab Mukherjee. He said that even NIA became the victim of LTTE several times, who repeatedly destroyed our whole organization, but we did not leave our efforts for peace, we don’t want human killings. No body cared for us when we approached Govt of India or Sri Lankan Govt.

It is well known to our organization i.e. National Integration Assembly (NIA) and the world at large that LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) or the Tamil Tigers for short), headed by Velupillai Prabhakaran, is undoubtedly a military nationalist organization that has been waging secessionist campaign against the Sri Lankan government since 1970s with a view to get a separate Tamil state in the North and East of Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon).

So far their demand was concerned,  it could be sorted out at that time rather than prolonging it to escalate.  Sri Lankan Govt. failed in tackling the issue as and when the situation came to their serious notice. If Sri Lanka govt. had taken the matter wisely on time, they would have surely tackled the problem, which has now become more or less the most dangerous headache for the world to get rid of it.

As a result of LTTE’s stubbornness and Sri Lankan Govt.’s negligence both became responsible for LTTE’s activities for progressing dangerously and ultimately they were labeled as terrorist organization by 32 countries. Who is responsible for all this?

When LTTE were active and causing killings in Sri Lanka and around, the Western countries took it light and kept mum or ignored it being regional issue. When terrorists were active in India, the western world paid no attention as if nothing had happened?

Now the crime of extremism has become full scale all over the world, a great network, only after 9/11, America became alert. It’s better to be late than never.

There are allegations against them that LTTE perfected the use of suicide bombers, invented the suicide belt, pioneered the use of women in suicide attacks, and murdered over 4000 people in the last two years alone as per FBI report.

The LTTE was also charged for assassination of two world leaders. This is the main reason on which our Organization i.e. National Integration Assembly (NIA) is worried, because the extremism is increasing minute by minute all over the world, which is becoming a theatre of terrorists and extremist elements.

NIA always preached peace and peace alone and got some good results including stoppage of Iran-Iraq war and help bring peace between India and Pakistan in eighties and so on. It is hard for the world to realize how much cost we had to pay to keep our peace body living at the hands of the extremists.

Needless to say, the Tamil Tigers are now considered among the most dangerous and deadly extremists in the world. For more than three decades, the group is alleged to have launched a campaign of violence and bloodshed in Sri Lanka, the island republic off the southern coast of India as per media reports.

National Integration Assembly (NIA) is not in favor of LTTE in any case, but we can’t see and sit as silent spectators that Sri Lanka Govt. should kill innocent or misguided people, we preach peace, promote peace, and wish peace wherever possible. The first step is always peaceful negotiations and not war. If LTTE wants truce, let Sri Lanka give them a practical chance.

NIA want no murders, or attacks on either side by LTTE or Sri Lankan Govt. By doing so, only innocent people will largely be the victims and this is our main aim, how to prevent future murders and loss of human life in Sri Lanka?

I personally want that the Cabinet Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Government of India, should also weigh his words before making any statement that may escalate the issue rather than solving it peacefully. India is a peaceful country and no statement should come from the govt. which may violate our nonviolent principles.

First of all,  I would like to ask who has been funding the LTTE, this aspect the FBI has not cared to touch, which is the most important, the root cause must be known to uproot it, irrespective of the fact what tactics Tamil Tigers adopted from where the Al Qaeda in Iraq were inspired.

Who have been funding them is the main question and how to plug them?  The whole world should unitedly determine to stop them, using the full range of their investigative and intelligence capabilities. 

We want the real human lovers to come forward and strengthen the hands of the National Integration Assembly (NIA) to tackle the most dangerous issue like LTTE and other extremists. First try to know the source of funding? Second is the world’s unity since singly no one can succeed. Ultimately, peace or negotiation is the only way out. 

Suggestions sought how to bring peace in the world from Extremist elements, and how to stop escalation between Sri Lankan Govt. and the LTTE?

E.Mail: raj.baldev2007@gmail.com