Chennai: Even as several outfits are planning to pay homage to those who lost their lives during the Sri Lankan ethnic war on its 10 year anniversary 18 May, the Central government today extended the ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for another five years with immediate effect.
According to a Home Ministry notification, the ban was extended under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
“LTTE’s continued violent and disruptive activities are prejudicial to the integrity and sovereignty of India,” the notification said. The outfit continues to adopt a strong anti-India posture and poses a grave threat to the security of Indian nationals, it added.
In the notification, the MHA said that the activities of the LTTE remnant cadres, dropouts, sympathisers and supporters who have been traced out recently in the State of Tamilnadu suggest that the cadres sent to Tamilnadu would ultimately be utilised by the LTTE unlawful activities.
“The activities of pro-LTTE organisations and individuals have come to notice of the government of India that despite the ban in force, attempts have been math by these forces to extend their support to the LTTE. The LTTE leaders, operatives and supporters have been inimically opposed to India’s policy on their organisation and action of the State machinery in curbing their activities,” the notice added.
The notice also said, “The diaspora continue to spread through articles in the Internet portals, anti-India feeling amongst the Sri Lankan Tamils by holding the government of India responsible for the defeat of the LTTE and such propaganda through Internet, which remains continued, is likely to impact Very Very Important Persons (VVIP) security adversely in India.”
MHA said that even after its military defeat in May 2009 in Sri Lanka, LTTE has not abandoned the concept of ‘Eelam’ (separate land for Tamils) and has been clandestinely working towards the cause by undertaking fund raising and propaganda activities.
The LTTE or Tamil Tigers, dedicated to the fight for Tamil independence in Sri Lanka, was formed by V Prabhakaran in 1976. A total of 41 terrorist outfits, including the LTTE, have been banned under the first schedule of the unlawful activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Al-Qaida, Jammu and Kashmir Islamic Front and Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) are some of the other organisations included in the list.
| “Wear blackband, plant sapling” |
| Office of the Prime Minister of Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam has asked everyone to wear blackband and plant a sapling on the Mullivaaikal Memorial day 18 May. |