India deported Tamil leaders Balasingham and Chandrahasan in 1985

By: T. Ramakrishnan

In August 1985, Anton S. Balasingham — who later became the best-known international face of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) — and S.C. Chandrahasan, founder of the Organisation for Eelam Refugees Rehabilitation (OfERR), were served orders to leave India within 48 hours.

Context: India's Approach to Sri Lankan Refugees

India has a track record of treating refugees from Sri Lanka with kid gloves. A few weeks ago, a 44-year-old IT professional — born in Sri Lanka, brought up in India, and now residing in the United States — approached the Madras High Court to avoid being declared "stateless." On several occasions over the past five to six years, the High Court has resolved issues of statelessness for many refugees covered under the 1964 and 1974 bilateral agreements and provisions of the Citizenship Act.

In the case of the IT professional, the court directed the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to file a detailed counter affidavit and instructed the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C., to keep in abeyance a notice issued to him to surrender his passport.

However, there were occasions when the Indian government acted tough — and at least once, went so far as to deport prominent Sri Lankan Tamils.

The 1985 Deportation

The deportation took place in August 1985. The individuals involved were:

• Anton S. Balasingham — who became the best-known international face of the LTTE
• S.C. Chandrahasan — founder of the Organisation for Eelam Refugees Rehabilitation (OfERR)

Background: The Thimpu Talks

On July 8, 1985, the famous Thimpu talks — named after the venue — commenced between the Sri Lankan government and representatives of Tamils, aimed at finding a political settlement to Sri Lanka's ethnic crisis. Held at the initiative of the Indian government headed by Rajiv Gandhi, the talks were conducted in two rounds.

The Tamil side was represented by:

• Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF)
• Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students (EROS)
• The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
• Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO)

These groups formed a bloc called the Eelam National Liberation Front (ENLF), alongside the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF).

Outcome of the Talks

The talks concluded on August 22, 1985. At one stage, they turned acrimonious. In the words of TULF secretary-general A. Amirthalingam, they had made "no headway."

Within a few days of the negotiations' conclusion, Balasingham and Chandrahasan were served orders to leave India within 48 hours.

• Balasingham was seen as having played "a major role" in calling for the termination of the talks.
• Chandrahasan's deportation lacked clear justification.

International Reaction

Internationally, the operation was seen as an attempt by India to exert pressure on Tamil militants to reach a settlement with the Sri Lankan government. India had been drawn into the Sri Lankan Tamil problem after anti-Tamil riots erupted in the neighbouring country 43 years ago.

Regardless of the motive behind the deportation, the move did not bring credit to the Congress government of Rajiv Gandhi. The Sri Lankan government's reaction, however, was positive. Then Information Minister Anandatissa d...