Balanadarajah Iyer
Kandasamy Iyer Balanadarajah Iyer ( Balanadarasan ) also known as Sinna Bala[1] (June 6, 1957 – August 16, 2004) was a Sri Lankan Tamil activist,writer and a Poet who was a media secretary and a senior member of EPDP Eelam People's Democratic Party
Personal life
Balanadarasan was born on June 6, 1957 in Urelu Jaffna to a Teacher named N. Kandasamy Iyer and his wife Ambigai Amma. Balanadarasan was the Second of seven children. He is a member of Jaffna's Tamil Brahmin community. Viramani Iyer ( well known Sri Lankan Carnatic Music Composer and a Dance lecturer) is the paternal uncle to Balanadarasan. bala was married to Jegatheswary Balanadarasan (Ranjana) Daughter of well known Hindu Priest Somasundara Kurukal and his wife Puvaneshwaray in 1990 October 31 and has three daughters. He began his political activities in 1972 at the age of 15 by opposing discrimination against Tamils with the Tamil Students Organization .[2]
Political life
| Assassinations of Journalists during the Sri Lankan Civil War |
|---|
| See also Human rights in Sri Lanka |
He became a leader of the Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students and worked for the Sri Lankan Tamil nationalist movement, advocating for the liberation of Tamils from the Government of Sri Lanka. He was a comrade of the founder of EROS, Ratnasabapathy. After the Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students merged with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, he left EROS and the LTTE. He then joined the Eelam People's Democratic Party and worked with founder Douglas Devananda to promote the rights of Jaffna Tamils and Eastern Tamils.[3] He also contested the 2000, 2001 and 2004 elections in Jaffna unsuccessfully for the EPDP.[1] He took part in Timbu talks along with Vellupilai Balakumaran and Shankar Raji.
Writing
Balanadarasan was the publisher of Tharkeegam, the mouthpiece of the Eelam People's Democratic Party. He was also a member of the editorial board for Ellanatham (News Paper for Tamils). He utilized the pseudonym "Ilaiyavan" when writing his books such as veedu, Kaniuruthi, Porkalam, Malaiyaitharatha vanam and the well known political book "Thimbu Muthal Tokyo Varai"
Death
On August 16, 2004 he was gunned down in Colombo by gunmen believed to be members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.[4] Iyer and an associate were killed by two men on motorcycles who shot at him with pistols. Iyer was shot him in the face and chest.[5] His murder was the second major murder of a journalist in Sri Lanka in 2004[6][7]
References
- 1 2 "Sinna Bala" and the Tamil national struggle Sunday Leader - October 17, 2004
- ↑ Colombo, battlefield for warring factions Sunday Observer - August 29, 2004
- ↑ EPDP Media Secretary gunned down at Wellawatte Daily News - August 17, 2004
- ↑ LTTE.htm Prominent Tamil political leaders assassinated by LTTE since the Ceasefire Agreement - South Asia Terrorism Portal
- ↑ Government condemns murder of EPDP Media Secretary Daily News - August 17, 2004
- ↑ Murdered editor champion of Tamil cause BBC - April 29, 2005
- ↑ UNESCO Condemns Killing of Sri Lankan Journalist Iyer Balanadarajah UNESCO - August 23, 2004