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The Jungle Telegraph by alia

Neither Tiger nor God
If the Tiger guerrilla political wing delegation returned to Colombo after a European tour in the comfort of a SriLankan Airlines flight, helicopters with their engines whirring waited on the tarmac to whisk them off to the North and East.

Political Wing leder, S.P. Tamilselvan, Military Wing leader for the East, Karuna, translator George (who they kept calling Master) and Keetha (Deputy Leader of the Political Wing) flew by Business Class from London to Colombo. Selvi, the other female cadre, had to be content with a seat in the economy class.

The team was returning from a tour of Ireland, Norway and Denmark. The five-member LTTE team had brought tags for 24 pieces of luggage, all bags as against packages as on previous occasions. But seven pieces had not been loaded and did not arrive in Colombo. This time too, the 17 pieces of baggage were put through security checks. One contained an organ, obviously for someone interested in music. Other items were mostly gifts, ornaments, shirts, frocks, dresses and toiletries.

Mr Tamilselvan, his translator George and the two female cadres boarded an Air Force M-17 troop transport helicopter for their flight to Kilinochchi. An hour later, Karuna, the military wing leader boarded a Bell 212 with his baggage for the flight to Batticaloa.

The fun-loving head of the LTTE Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi, Mr Pulithevan, did not arrive yesterday apparently due to a difficulty in obtaining a seat. "What about Pulithevan," Alia queried from an official at the Bandaranaike International Airport. At first he got the question wrong and replied "he is neither."

Alia asked what he meant. Well, he is neither a Tiger (Puli) nor a God (Thevan or Deva) said the official. Alia had to repeat his question. Then came the right answer. "No, no he did not arrive. He is arriving on Sunday (today)."

Besides a thorough baggage check, the billion dollar question is whether he will also get a separate helicopter ride. So far the Government has not refused him one.
Some things do go wrong.

Like his colleague staffer, Chris Kamalendran, Alia got it wrong last week. He said Mr. Anandarajah was going to enjoy an extended term as Inspector General of Police.
Well, that was how things were on Saturday (October 5) afternoon. So, none other than Presidential Spokesman Harim Peiris confirmed the report.

But that Saturday night President Kumaratunga was going through a letter from Interior Ministry Secretary, N.M. Junaid together with a report from the CID.
According to insiders, she discovered a serious discrepancy in the two. She telephoned Mr. Junaid thereafter to say his recommendation for an extension to Mr. Anandarajah cannot be endorsed. The rest is now history.

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