Pottu Amman
Encyclopedia
Shanmugalingam Sivashankar (Tamil
: சன்முகலிங்கம் சிவசங்கரன், also known as Pottu Amman (Tamil
: பொட்டு அம்மான் is a Sri Lanka
n Tamil
militant
. He was indicted by the India
n government's Jain Commission for involvement in the assassination of the former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi
.
.
, and became second in LTTE's military wing after leader Velupillai Prabhakaran
. Pottu Amman was trained and was the head of a coastal camp in Vedaranyam
in Tamil Nadu
. He also became the leader of the Black Tigers force and Tiger Organization Security Intelligence Service (TOSIS). He was once kidnapped by rival PLOTE cadres and later freed in 1985 in exchange for another PLOTE member. Pottu Amman is known for his military expertise.
was killed by a women tiger who was allegedly raped by the IPKF. Another attack was against president Ranasinghe Premadasa
who was killed when a Black Tiger blew himself up also killing 23 bystanders on May Day. He is also believed to have been in charge of planning the LTTE's covert operations and was the brain behind most of the LTTE's successful military operations.
and see what the Sri Lankan Government were planning against the Tigers. He was responsible for getting many documents for many such attacks from the Sri Lankan Army. Once it took Pottu Amman and other officers one year to attack a base as they had to research what weapons the Sri Lankan Army had, what their military strength was and how many soldiers there was.
after a two-hour firefight in Vellamullivaikkal, 18 May 2009. What was claimed to be the Tamil Tiger chief Velupillai Prabhakaran
's body was found in a mangrove island of Nanthikadal lagoon
on the following day. Although all other Tiger leaders' bodies were identified, Sri Lanka Army was unable to identify the body of Pottu Amman among ten thousands of bodies decomposed beyond identification. Sri Lanka Army Commander General
Sarath Fonseka
later claimed that "he [Pottu Amman] is well and truly dead" as there had been no way out for him due to tight security around the area the last battle of Vellamullivaikkal fought. The Sri Lanka Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa
is also quoted as claiming in desperation with more questions arising on Pottu Amman saying that he is "100% sure" that Pottu Amman is dead.
Initially this was believed to be true as there was no independent verification from within the warzone or from anyone other than Government officials but as months have passed from the supposed death of the LTTE deputy. The Sri Lankan government's reluctance to give a plausible account of the supposed demise of Pottu Amman and Interpol
's decision to put him back onto the wanted list suggests Pottu Amman is still very much alive.
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
: சன்முகலிங்கம் சிவசங்கரன், also known as Pottu Amman (Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
: பொட்டு அம்மான் is a Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n Tamil
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
militant
Militant
The word militant, which is both an adjective and a noun, usually is used to mean vigorously active, combative and aggressive, especially in support of a cause, as in 'militant reformers'. It comes from the 15th century Latin "militare" meaning "to serve as a soldier"...
. He was indicted by the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n government's Jain Commission for involvement in the assassination of the former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Ratna Gandhi was the sixth Prime Minister of India . He took office after his mother's assassination on 31 October 1984; he himself was assassinated on 21 May 1991. He became the youngest Prime Minister of India when he took office at the age of 40.Rajiv Gandhi was the elder son of Indira...
.
Personal life
Shanmugalingam Sivashankar is an "introvert," who is rarely seen in public and is known to the public by his nom de guerre rather than by his real name. He has a wife and three children, their whereabouts is unknown. He is a hardliner in favour of an independent Tamil EelamTamil Eelam
Tamil Eelam , is the name given by certain Tamils in Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora to the independent state which they aspire to create in the north and east of Sri Lanka. Tamil Eelam has no official status or recognition by any other state or authority...
.
LTTE
Pottu Amman joined LTTE in 1981 along with Colonel SoosaiColonel Soosai
Thillaiyampalam Sivanesan , also known by his nom de guerre, Colonel Soosai, was the head of the Sea Tigers, the naval wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.- Personal life :...
, and became second in LTTE's military wing after leader Velupillai Prabhakaran
Velupillai Prabhakaran
Thiruvenkadam Velupillai Prabhakaran was the founder and leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a militant organization that sought to create an independent Tamil state in the north and east of Sri Lanka...
. Pottu Amman was trained and was the head of a coastal camp in Vedaranyam
Vedaranyam
Vedaranyam is a municipality in Nagapattinam district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.-Geography:Vedaraniyam is located at . It has an average elevation of .-Demographics:...
in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. He also became the leader of the Black Tigers force and Tiger Organization Security Intelligence Service (TOSIS). He was once kidnapped by rival PLOTE cadres and later freed in 1985 in exchange for another PLOTE member. Pottu Amman is known for his military expertise.
Black Tigers
Pottu Amman is responsible for training Black Tigers for missions which cost them their lives. Most notably was when former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv GandhiRajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Ratna Gandhi was the sixth Prime Minister of India . He took office after his mother's assassination on 31 October 1984; he himself was assassinated on 21 May 1991. He became the youngest Prime Minister of India when he took office at the age of 40.Rajiv Gandhi was the elder son of Indira...
was killed by a women tiger who was allegedly raped by the IPKF. Another attack was against president Ranasinghe Premadasa
Ranasinghe Premadasa
Ranasinghe Premadasa was the 3rd President of Sri Lanka from January 2, 1989 to May 1, 1993. Before that, he served as the Prime Minister in the government headed by J. R. Jayewardene from February 6, 1978 to January 1, 1989...
who was killed when a Black Tiger blew himself up also killing 23 bystanders on May Day. He is also believed to have been in charge of planning the LTTE's covert operations and was the brain behind most of the LTTE's successful military operations.
TOSIS
Tiger Organization Security Intelligence Service was also run by Pottu Amman. He would send out cadres to check up in places like ColomboColombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
and see what the Sri Lankan Government were planning against the Tigers. He was responsible for getting many documents for many such attacks from the Sri Lankan Army. Once it took Pottu Amman and other officers one year to attack a base as they had to research what weapons the Sri Lankan Army had, what their military strength was and how many soldiers there was.
Rumoured Death
There had been rumors that a rocket hit the ambulance he was riding, along with Velupillai PrabhakaranVelupillai Prabhakaran
Thiruvenkadam Velupillai Prabhakaran was the founder and leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a militant organization that sought to create an independent Tamil state in the north and east of Sri Lanka...
after a two-hour firefight in Vellamullivaikkal, 18 May 2009. What was claimed to be the Tamil Tiger chief Velupillai Prabhakaran
Velupillai Prabhakaran
Thiruvenkadam Velupillai Prabhakaran was the founder and leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a militant organization that sought to create an independent Tamil state in the north and east of Sri Lanka...
's body was found in a mangrove island of Nanthikadal lagoon
Nanthi Kadal
Nanthi Kadal is a lagoon in Mullaitivu District, north-east Sri Lanka. The English translation of Nanthi Kadal is "the sea of conches".The lagoon is fed by a number of small rivers, including Per Aru....
on the following day. Although all other Tiger leaders' bodies were identified, Sri Lanka Army was unable to identify the body of Pottu Amman among ten thousands of bodies decomposed beyond identification. Sri Lanka Army Commander General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Sarath Fonseka
Sarath Fonseka
Gardihewa Sarath Chandralal Fonseka, known as Sarath Fonseka is a former commander and General of the Sri Lanka Army and a former candidate for President of Sri Lanka. As Commander of the Army, he played an instrumental role in ending the 26 year Sri Lankan Civil War in 2009, defeating the...
later claimed that "he [Pottu Amman] is well and truly dead" as there had been no way out for him due to tight security around the area the last battle of Vellamullivaikkal fought. The Sri Lanka Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa
Gotabhaya Rajapaksa
Lieutenant Colonel Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa, RWP, RSP, psc, GR is a retired officer of the Sri Lanka Army and the current Defence Secretary of Sri Lanka. After serving through the early parts of the country's civil war with Tamil Tiger rebels, he retired from the Army in 1992...
is also quoted as claiming in desperation with more questions arising on Pottu Amman saying that he is "100% sure" that Pottu Amman is dead.
Initially this was believed to be true as there was no independent verification from within the warzone or from anyone other than Government officials but as months have passed from the supposed death of the LTTE deputy. The Sri Lankan government's reluctance to give a plausible account of the supposed demise of Pottu Amman and Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
's decision to put him back onto the wanted list suggests Pottu Amman is still very much alive.