Born to Die: The Black Tigers of the LTTE
D Suba Chandran
Research Officer, IPCS
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is one of the few groups in the world alongwith the Hizballah, the Hamas and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) of
Turkey to have an elite suicide squad. A comparative analysis of the Black Tigers with other terrorist organizations will reveal its significance. Ever since the first suicide attack by the Hizballah in 1983 in
Beirut , in which more than 150 American and French Peace Keepers were killed, there have been more than 250 such attacks by various groups all over the world. Of these attacks the Black Tigers alone had carried out 150; more than those carried out by all other groups put together. They are the only group which succeeded in assassinating two former Prime Ministers – Rajiv Gandhi and Premadasa.
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Known as Karumpuligal (Black Tigers) they form the elite section of the LTTE. What makes the Black Tigers unique? How is it that the LTTE has succeeded in continuously sustaining its suicide wing? What makes the cadres of the LTTE opt for becoming Black Tigers? Why is there such glorification of the Black Tigers in the LTTE?
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First, though the entire LTTE cadre can be argued to be suicide squad, as each and every cadre carries a cyanide capsule which is garlanded by the local commando leader in the ‘passing out parade’ after they finish their training and does not hesitate to use it when captured or faced with an adverse situation, the Black Tigers are considered far more significant. The mission of a Black Tiger is to give up his or her life, which provides them elite status inside the LTTE and makes other cadres to aspire for that status.
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Second, the glorification of the Black Tigers by the LTTE makes it prestigious. Every year July 5 is celebrated by the LTTE as the day of the Black Tigers. (It was on July 5, 1987, that the first suicide attack was perpetrated by the LTTE, when its ‘Captain’ Millar drove a truck full of explosives into a Sri Lankan Army camp, killing nearly forty soldiers). On this particular day, an eternal lamp is lighted in front of the tombstone of every Black Tiger, who had lost his or her life. The LTTE flag is hoisted and the parents of the Black Tigers, who had sacrificed their lives, are honored. The LTTE radio broadcasts the brave deeds of the Black Tigers with their operational details. When
Jaffna was under the LTTE’s control, the Maveerar Thuyilum Illam (Resting Home of the Brave) was cleaned and lighted and the day celebrated in such an emotional way, that it made other cadres to aspire for becoming Black Tigers. When the Sri Lankan Army took over
Jaffna from the LTTE, the first thing it did was to bulldoze this cemetery which eulogized the Black Tigers.
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Third, the Black Tigers lead most of the military operations of the LTTE, especially its attack on the Sri Lankan army camps. The Black Tigers, armed with explosives, drive directly into the army camp, catching the Sri Lankan Army totally by surprise, and causing maximum damage. Before the Army recovers from its initial shock, the regular cadres of the LTTE attack, making maximum use of the sacrifice by the Black Tigers. The Black Tigers, being the “Leading ForceÃ¢â‚¬Âť of any military operation, has an extra attraction for the cadres.
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Fourth, the success rate of the Black Tigers make them very popular. In most of the cases, except on a couple of rare occasions, the Black Tigers have succeeded in achieving their mission. Chandrika Kumaratunga was one of the few targets who escaped the Black Tigers. Their ability to penetrate the tough security not only in
Colombo , but in other places also and carryout its mission, make the Black Tigers invincible in their mission.
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Fifth, the Black Tigers have an additional advantage – they can meet the leader of the LTTE, Prabhakaran. The LTTE considers Prabhakaran to be a demi-god; since his public appearances are limited, meeting Prabhakaran is a lifetime goal for many of the young cadres of the LTTE. In fact, Prabhakaran has very carefully cultivated this image. Besides, before the mission, the Black Tigers have their “Last SupperÃ¢â‚¬Âť with their leader, which is considered a lifetime honor for its cadres.
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Sixth, the presence of women cadres in the Black Tigers is a distinct phenomenon. Other than the LTTE, only the PKK has women cadres in its suicide wing; nearly one-third of the Black Tigers is composed of women. The presence of women in the suicide squad asserts the gender equality that the LTTE preaches.
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Finally, the LTTE does not have an ideology that could impress and motivate its cadres. There were a number of other Tamil militant groups which had a Marxist ideology and even the LTTE, initially, did have a socialist framework; this can be seen from the work of Anton Balasingam, Socialist Tamil Eelam. But, at a later stage, Prabhakaran gave up this ideological orientation. The Black Tigers to a great extent motivate the cadres by their action and sacrifice.
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The Black Tigers thus form the backbone of the LTTE which in turn eulogize the former and this overt glorification ensures the continuous inflow Black Tigers have.?
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