Ex-LTTE Chief “KP”: The Tiger who changed his stripes
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj The tiger, they say , does not change its stripes. The leopard too wont change its spots. This inability or refusal to change is certainly true of the four –legged felines. There are some – perpetually paranoid- who would say this is applicable to the near extinct two –legged tiger in Sri Lanka too. "Once a tiger always a tiger". In fact there is a proverbial saying in Tamil "Puli Pasithalum Pullai Thinnaathu"(even when hungry the tiger will not eat grass). Whatever truth these sayings may seek to convey, the reality in Sri Lanka is that of many members and ex-members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) changing their stripes. Ferocious felines are transformed from carnivores into herbivores. The most famous examples of this successful transition were until recently Vinayagamurthy Muraleetharan alias Karuna and Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillaiyan. The former is a Parliamentarian and Deputy Minister while the latter is Chief Minister of the Eastern Provincial Council. There are also innumerable instances of nondescript tiger cadres dropping out of the movement and embarking on a new, violence free family life. Thousands of former tigers have sought refuge in foreign countries. Most of them lead quiet, dignified lives contributing immensely to society at large.
Yesteryears: LTTE leader Prabhakaran, 'KP', Anton Balasingham and 'Col.' Sankar Continue
