India’s Union Ministry this week extended the ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam has been extended for another five years.
“The Government of India, under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, has proscribed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as an ‘Unlawful Association’. The declaration of LTTE as an ‘Unlawful Association’ has been extended for a further period of five years with effect from May 14, 2014,” said a notification made public on Thursday.
The proscription of the LTTE was last extended in 2012.
The notification in 2012 said that the LTTE continued to be working towards “the Eelam cause” and that the government has information that “the activities of the LTTE remnant cadres, dropouts, sympathisers, supporters who have been traced out recently in the State of Tamil Nadu suggest that the cadres sent to Tamil Nadu would ultimately be utilised by the LTTE for unlawful activities”, The Hindu reported.
“The LTTE, even after its military defeat in May 2009 in Sri Lanka, has not abandoned the concept of ‘Eelam’ and has been clandestinely working towards the ‘Eelam’ cause by undertaking fund raising and propaganda activities in Europe. The remnant LTTE leaders or cadres have also initiated efforts to regroup the scattered activists and resurrect the outfit locally and internationally,” it said.
The notification also said that the Tamil diaspora continued to spread anti-Indian feelings amongst Tamils through articles online, holding Indian political leaders and bureaucrats responsible for the defeat of the LTTE.
“Such propaganda through Internet, which remains continued, is likely to impact VVIP security adversely in India,” it said.