LTTE activity in Tamil Nadu causes concern

Chennai, Feb 25: Sixteen years after India paid a heavy price for its 'soft' attitude towards the LTTE when former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was felled by a human bomb, there are worrying signs that Tamil Nadu may once again become a hotbed of Tamil Tiger activity.

As hostilities between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan security forces escalate, there is an apparent spurt in smuggling of arms, ammunition and explosives from Tamil Nadu for the LTTE.

A series of seizures since last November when police'accidentally' stumbled upon at Manamadurai a Tata Sumo Van loaded with 1,500 kg of Gelex boosters used in landmines, there is considerable concern among intelligence officials and security agencies that the porous Indian coastline is once again being exploited by the LTTE.

To instil confidence in the the people, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi declared he would never allow Tamil Nadu to become a haven for LTTE and ordered a crackdown on all outfits and political parties with suspected links to the banned outfit.

After Gelex boosters came the seizure of iron ball bearings, apparently meant for use as shrapnel in IEDs, in Chennai. Later, a boat containing nearly three tonnes of metal bars, rings and firing pins was found by the Indian Navy this month off the Rameswaram coast and yet another by Coast Guard that contained 126 gunny bags filled with metal bars in the first island close to Adams Bridge.

The big catch of an explosives-laden LTTE suicide boat which was subsequently destroyed by the State authorities had only increased the concern of the security establishment.

The authorities seized an AK-56 rifle, grenades, chemicals and a suicide jacket packed with explosives from the boat belonging to LTTE's naval arm ''Sea Tigers.'' They discovered the sides of the boat were lined with huge quantities of TNT and RDX, strong enough to trigger giant explosions and blow up a harbour or warships.

All this has once again thrown up the new familiar question, is the fragile Tamil Nadu coastline once again becoming vulnerable to clandestine activities of the LTTE?

Investigations showed the Tamil Tigers had no plans to target Indian installations but were rather using the country's territorial waters as transit points for launching attacks on strategic locations in Sri Lanka. Observers feel the seizures in the last few months may be only the tip of the iceberg, a point admitted by none other than Defence Minister A K Antony himself who reacted quickly and called for strengthening the coastal security.

There were enough indications that sources close to the LTTE were active in the state despite the government's claims to the contrary.

The recent seizures, especially the explosive-laden boat, pointed to it, a political observer said.

What is surprising is the 'stoic' silence maintained by some political parties on the issue though the government had come out with a strong message that any clandestine activity would be dealt with an iron hand.

Not leaving anything to chance, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi gave clear directions to the police to launch a crackdown on outfits and political parties figuring in the clandestine LTTE network in the state.

Making his position clear on the issue, Mr Karunanidhi said the government was very much aware of the distinction between urging the Centre to take steps to stop the killings of innocent Tamils in Sri Lanka and allowing Tamil Nadu as a supply and landing base for the LTTE and its supporters.

''Those who indulge in acts like smuggling arms for the LTTE should not think the Tamil Nadu Government's appeal to the Centre to take steps to ensure peace in Sri Lanka gives them a free hand to carry on with such activities,'' he warned.

In the aftermath of the Rajiv Gandhi assassination in 1991, the outfit was kept at arms length and the Jayalalithaa Government, which assumed office soon after, launched a crackdown on the LTTE and its sympathisers and the well-entrenched network soon weakened as a result.

The Centre for its part proscribed the Tigers in 1992 and the courts declared its LTTE Chief V Prabhakaran a proclaimed offender in the Rajiv case.

Recently, the Indian Coast seemed to have become the choice route for Sea Tigers to execute its attack plans on Lankan installations.

Investigators suspect the seized ''Sea Tiger'' boat could have been on a suicide mission to attack either the Kankesanthurai Port in Northern Sri Lanka or the Naval base nearby.

When contacted by sources, some political parties were guarded in their reactions, while political analysts likle 'Thuglaq' Editor ''Cho'' S Ramasamy described the situation as ''alarming.'' ''It is highly disturbing. It is obvious that Tamil Nadu soil is being used in various ways by the LTTE, which has developed contacts, some of them at the highest level.

''Otherwise it could not have been going on like this. I am unable to understand why the state police chose to destroy the boat carrying explosives without examining it to find out whether they could gather any evidence that will lead to presence of LTTE supporters in the state,'' Mr Chos said.

''Unless a state acts on minutest information, these things have a tendency to grow and a stage will be reached where nothing could be done about it,'' he said, adding ''I don't know whether the state government is really keen on doing it.'' The AIADMK has chosen to maintain discreet silence. It's new ally MDMK is stridently pro-LTTE and its chief Vaiko was jailed for 19 months for allegedly giving a speech in support of the LTTE when the AIADMK was in power in 2002.

The MDMK had refrained from making any comment. But party sources said it was the duty of the government, which was in charge of law and order, to give an explanation.

Intriguingly, DMK's two pro-LTTE allies, the PMK and the DPI, are also maintaining silence. TNCC Chief M Krishnasamy was guarded in commenting on the issue and said Mr Karunanidhi had made the correct and strong statement. The Chief Minister had rightly stated he would not allow such things to take place in the state, he said and exuded confidence the ruling DMK would take necessary steps to prevent the LTTE from using the state as its base.

DMK's ally and CPI State Secretary D Pandian told UNI