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A. Chandranehru
Ariyanayagam Chandranehru (Tamil: அரியநாயகம் சந்திரநேரு; 15 October 1944 – 8 February 2005) was a Sri Lankan Tamil merchant seaman, politician and Member of Parliament. Early life and familyChandranehru was born 15 October 1944.[3] He was from Thirukkovil in south-eastern Ceylon.[4] He was named after two leading Indian independence activists admired by his father – Subhas Chandra Bose and Jawaharlal Nehru.[4] Chandranehru was the son of K. A. W. Ariyanayagam (Arappor Ariyanayagam), one of the founders of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (Federal Party).[4] Ariyanayagam was a follower of the Gandhiyam way of life and took part in the non-violent civil rights protests by Tamils in the 1950s and 1960s.[4] Chandranehru took part in the satyagrahas of 1956 and 1961.[4] However, he, like many young Tamils, became disillusioned with non-violent protests and began to support militant armed struggle.[4] Chandranehru's family were protestant Christians and his brother Ruban was a Methodist pastor.[4] Chandranehru's son Chandrakanthan is a former Member of Parliament.[5] CareerChandranehru joined the public service, working at the fisheries department in Kalpitiya.[4] He then started working as a second officer on a Maldivian ship.[4] After six years he became captain of a ship.[4] In the mid 1980s, when he returned home for a holiday, he was arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and detained at Boosa prison for more than a year.[4] This increased his support for achieving a separate Tamil state through armed struggle.[4] In the late 1990s he gave up shipping, returned home to Thirukkovil and became a businessman, buying several shops.[4] Chandranehru contested the 2001 parliamentary election as one of the Tamil National Alliance's (TNA) candidates in Ampara District. He was elected and entered Parliament.[6] He failed to get re-elected at the 2004 parliamentary election after coming second amongst the TNA candidates.[7] Chandranehru and others founded NESOHR (North East Secretariat on Human Rights) on 9 July 2004.[8][9] AssassinationOn the night of 7 February 2005 Chandranehru, along with several members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), were travelling from Polonnaruwa to Thirukkovil along the Polonnaruwa-Batticaloa highway in a blue Toyota Dolphin van.[10][11][12] At around 7.45 pm, at Pillaiyaarady near Namalgama, 40 km north-west of Batticaloa and inside government controlled territory, their vehicle was overtaken by a white van, which had been following them, which then blocked the road.[10][11][13][2] Men dressed in military uniforms got out of the white van and ordered the occupants of Chandranehru's Dolphin van to get out.[13] The two police officers providing security for Chandranehru did not resist as the men were in military uniforms.[13] The men in military uniforms then started shooting at Chandranehru and his group. E. Kousalyan, the LTTE's political head for Batticaloa-Ampara District, and four other LTTE members (Nithimaran, Vinodhan, Kamalan and Kumanan) were killed.[11][12][14] Chandranehru was seriously injured in the attack and was taken to hospital in Colombo National Hospital but the following day (8) he died of his injuries.[11][12][15][16][17] The attack took place close to several Sri Lanka Army camps including Namalgama, Ruwanpitiya, Welikanda, Punanai and Kadwathmadu.[10][12][2][18] The assassination was blamed on the government backed Karuna paramilitary group and the Sri Lankan military.[19] The Tamil National Force, a TMVP (Karuna Group)/ENDLF front, claimed responsibility for the attack.[20] On 12 February 2005 the LTTE conferred the title Maamanithar (great human being) on Chandranehru.[2][21][1] Electoral history
References
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