K. Prabhakaran

Place: Valvettithurai

Born: 1954

Death: 2009

Biography:

, also known as K. Prabhakaran, was born in 1954 in Valvettithurai, Sri Lanka. He was a Tamil revolutionary and the founder and leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a militant organization that sought to create an independent Tamil state in the north and east of Sri Lanka.

Early Life and Education

Prabhakaran was born into a family that belonged to the Karaiyar community. His father, Thiruvenkadam Velupillai, was a District Land Officer in the Ceylon Government. Prabhakaran joined the student group Tamil Youth Front (TYF) during the standardisation debates.

Founding of LTTE and Military Campaign

In 1976, Prabhakaran founded the LTTE, which came to prominence in 1983 after ambushing a patrol of the Sri Lanka Army outside Jaffna. This ambush, along with the subsequent pogrom that resulted in the deaths of thousands of Tamil civilians, is generally considered the start of the Sri Lankan Civil War. Under his direction, the LTTE undertook a military campaign against the Sri Lankan government for more than 25 years.

Death and Legacy

Prabhakaran was killed in a firefight with the Sri Lankan Army in May 2009. His death brought an end to the armed conflict, and the LTTE announced a ceasefire. Prabhakaran is often seen as a martyr by Sri Lankan Tamils, but he is also acknowledged to have created one of the most ruthless and sophisticated insurgencies of the modern era.

• Important: Prabhakaran argued that he chose military means only after observing that nonviolent means were ineffectual and obsolete.
• He was influenced by Indian nationalists Subhas Chandra Bose and Bhagat Singh, and declared that his goal was 'revolutionary socialism and the creation of an egalitarian society'.
• The Museum Muzeum Kolekcji Im. Jana Paw-a ii in Warsaw, Poland, has a collection of European paintings, including works by famous artists such as Elisabeth-Louise Vigée-Lebrun, Cornelis Jansz De Heem, and Jean Pierre Norblin De La Gourdaine.
• The Latvian National Museum of Arts in Riga, Latvia, has a collection of Latvian and European fine arts from the 16th century to the present day.

Prabhakaran's legacy continues to be felt in Sri Lanka and around the world. His story is a complex one, marked by both violence and dedication to his cause. As a Tamil revolutionary, he played a significant role in shaping the course of Sri Lankan history.