By D.B.S.
Jeyaraj
Contrary
to a news report in “The Hindu” where former Fisheries minister Dr.Rajitha
Senaratne is quoted as saying that ex-LTTE leader “KP”has left Sri Lanka, the
former tiger stalwart is still living in Northern Sri Lanka.
“The
Hindu”report filed by Meera Srinivasan from Colombo states that “Kumaran
Pathmanathan or ‘KP’, who was wanted in Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi
assassination case, is missing from Sri Lanka”.
It goes
on to quote Dr. Rajitha Senaratne as saying “We heard he escaped through the
airport’s VIP lounge. We are investigating,” . The former minister is described
as a “senior politician and spokesman of President Maithripala Sirisena”.
Upon
reading the news report I telephoned “KP” whose real name is Selvarasah
Pathmanathan and not Kumaran Pathmanathan as reported by the Indian media. He
was at his usual residence in Thiruvaiyaaru,Kilinocchi.
When I
asked him about the news report , he replied that he was aware of it but was
helpless . He said that there had been several news reports about him in the
past which were factually incorrect.KP said he hoped the authorities concerned
would set the record straight in due course that he had not left the country
and that he was in Kilinochchi.
He also
said that he had not participated in any election related activity and stayed
aloof from “politics” concentrating only on looking after the children in the
orphanages under his care.
After
speaking to KP I also contacted knowledgeable sources in Kilinochchi who also
confirmed that KP was living in Kilinochchi under protective custody.
Selvarasah
Pathmanathan alias KP who was arrested in Malaysia in 2009 and brought to Sri
Lanka has been living in Kilinochchi for the past few years under protective
custody.
KP who
formed a Non Governmental Organization known as the North – Eastern
Rehabilitation and Development Organization(NERDO) administers three registered
orphanages through that.
The three
orphanages are “Anbu Illam” the home for boys is in Muthaiyankaddu, “Bharathi
Illam”the home for girls in Mulliyawalai and another girls orphanage “Sencholai”in
Kilinochchi situated in close proximity to the Army headquarters in
Iranaimadhu.
A fourth
home for boys in Kilinochchi has also been set up but is yet to function fully
The three
orphanages housing over 300 children are financed by donations from
well-wishers of all communities in Sri Lanka and abroad.
On a
personal note I have been in touch with KP over the past few years and kept
abreast of the work undertaken in running the three orphanages. I have also
been involved in helping these children in my personal capacity and have kept
myself informed of the work in progress. I also visited the
“Sencholai”orphanage in 2013 when I was in Sri Lanka and spent half a day with the
children.It was a heartwarming experience
The news
report in “The Hindu”stated as follows :–
Kumaran
Pathmanathan missing; He was wanted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
Meera Srinivasan
“Kumaran
Pathmanathan or ‘KP’, who was wanted in Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi
assassination case, is missing from Sri Lanka.
“We heard
he escaped through the airport’s VIP lounge. We are investigating,” said
Rajitha Senaratne, senior politician and spokesman of President Maithripala
Sirisena. KP headed the arms procurement wing and ‘international secretariat’
of the LTTE before the military arrested him. Over the last few years he
managed a children’s home in Kilinochchi while reportedly continuing to remain
in custody”.
DBS
Jeyaraj can be reached at ~ dbsjeyaraj@yahoo.com
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