Prabhakaran with family members. The body of Pottu Amman and his wife were never discovered. There was also the very high levels of civilian casualties. The 53 hugged the lagoon banks and moved inwards. Prabhakaran with his family. Charles Anthony They married in 1984. Prabhakaran named his eldest son after Charles Anthony, a close and loyal confidante of his, who was killed in confrontations with the Sri Lankan Army years ago. [60][61][62], Prabhakaran's first and only major press conference was held in Killinochchi on 10 April 2002. It is thought that the entire . (Velupillai Prabhakaran, 26 1954 - 17 18 . The Government had stopped the ICRC ships from fetching the injured. [93] It is thought that the entire family was wiped out; the bodies of Mathivathani, Duvaraga and Balachandran reportedly were found in a bushy patch about 600 meters away from where Prabhakaran's body was found. two sons -- Charles Anthony and Balachandran. [72][73][74], Despite the announcement of his death by both the Government and LTTE remnants, certain groups and media have claimed that Prabhakaran survived the war and managed to escape. According to the military, among other top leaders killed with Prabhakaran were intelligence chief Puttu Amman, Charles Anthony (Prabhakaran's eldest son), head of the political section B. Nadesan . When Yoshitha joined the Navy, Mahinda proudly announced that unlike other world leaders, he had given his son to fight the war to protect the country. Velupillai Prabhakaran Wife, Son, and Daughter. With the new government taking office, the transfer made to the PSD for Yoshitha has now been cancelled. - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}. He died along with around 100 other LTTE fighters. A three-pronged drive commenced with the 58 led by Brig. 9. its strongholds in the north, Prabhakaran and Charles took Prabhakarans body was discovered at dawn on Tuesday 19 May lying on the Nanthikkadal lagoon shore. LM . As for the present, I shall follow journalisms golden rule cut the cackle and go for the guts by re-visiting the demise of LTTE chief Veluppillai Prabhakaran with the aid of my earlier writings. Everyone knows the truth". He further added that Tamil Eelam was not only the demand of the LTTE but also the demand of the Tamil people. 4. As such I have no intention of pursuing red herrings by engaging in discussing Nedumarans claim at this juncture though I may delve into the background behind his conduct in a future article. Duvaraga had been a member of the Malathy womens brigade and had fought in battles. Thousands had died. Also the bodies of many senior leaders and commanders too were discovered in stages. phase of the war, the whereabouts of others are not known, but Yoshitha was never sacrificed to fight the war to save the country. Worse, it was he who insisted on compulsory drafting of all youth in the region under Tiger control, alienating the public at large. 5. This was to prevent the enemy seizing his body. I am not authorised to give you any details.". Charles Anthony had reported to KP that his (Charles Anthonys) father, Prabhakaran had turned down repeated requests by him (Charles Anthony) to leave the North and seek safety overseas. Reported By:| Edited By: |Source: PTI |Updated: Nov 19, 2013, 11:17 PM IST. We will raise the issue at the appropriate time. He handed away on 18 Would maybe . Prabhakaran led the third unit, with another hundred cadres and the final battle had taken place at midnight. Three-pronged drive The 12-year-old's father, Prabhakaran, was killed along with most of the senior leadership of the LTTE as Sri Lanka's army advanced on the rebels' position. Many of the operations he commanded were on 26th, precisely to surprise the army. Later, he had been attached to the Royal Navy for two more courses in sea training, the committee had observed. [51] With Prabhakaran being the most wanted man in Sri Lanka,[52] he had said in 1984, I would prefer to die in honour rather than being caught alive by the enemy.[53] Prabhakaran held his first speech on 4 August 1987 at the Suthumalai Amman temple in front of over 100 000 people explaining the position of the LTTE. The unit led by Prabhakaran was also annihilated and the LTTE Chief was killed in the clash. His wife's and daughter's bodies were reportedly found by the Sri Lankan army but the report was later denied by the Sri Lankan government. Colombo stood firm. A news report in The Hindu stated as follows: One was led by Jeyam, one by Pottu Amman and one by Soosai. He was also raised to divine status as Sooriyathevan (God of the Sun) by his followers.[100]. He got married in 1984. This was because of numerology as Sunday was the 17th. Colombo: A body suspected to be that of Charles Anthony, son of LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran, has been found in the Lanka war zone, Sri Lankan army has said. Pictures released by the Army and defence ministry showed him in uniform and later in his underwear. A file picture of LTTE Chief Velupillai Prabhakaran (centre) with his father (from left) Thiruvengadam Velupillai, mother Parvathy, wife Mathivathani and son Charles Anthony. . Anthony, 24, named after his father`s close confidant [45] A member of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party who was loyal to Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Duraiappah was seen as a traitor by the Tamil masses. 8 was considered unlucky. It was expected that the 50-person group would take cover in shrub jungle during day and then move through the night to safety in the jungles. [48], The LTTE by the 1980s operated in more attacks against police and military forces. If Prabhakaran was so inclined he could have either relocated clandestinely to the Wanni or Weli-Oya/Manal Aaru jungles or escaped by sea to South-east Asia. He had injuries in the head and forehead. Their whereabouts were unknown. The LTTE had never allowed the countries which opposed India to set foot on their land nor did it have any relationship with these countries. It appears that Prabhakaran and the LTTE had not been unduly concerned about the advancing armed forces for quite a while. Troops found 12 million rupees in his possession. He also urged the Tamil Nadu government, all political parties in Tamil Nadu, and the people of Tamil Nadu to express their support to the LTTE leader Prabhakaran at this crucial juncture. Colombo, May 18: Groomed by his father to take Facebook. Wasantha Karannagoda He died along with around 100 other LTTE fighters. Certificates for both AL and OL are not available in his file. The following are important aspects of Prabhakaran's philosophy and ideology: Prabhakaran is often seen as a martyr to the Sri Lankan Tamil people. Here's a NewsX Mega Exclusive on India's role being played in an elimination of LTTE Chief Prabhakaran. Prabhakaran was reportedly killed in the fighting with the Sri Lankan Army on May 18, 2009. Almost all military leaders were part of the three groups trying to break out while the bulk of the political wing stayed behind to surrender. [75] In 2010 Pro-LTTE website TamilWin claimed that the body of Prabhakaran shown belonged to a Sri Lankan soldier showing images of a Prabhakaran look-alike in the Sri Lankan army. Killinochi. The eldest Charles Anthony was born in 1985. Velupillai Prabhakaran Age. State TV broadcast images of the corpse of 24-year-old Charles Anthony, Prabhakaran's son and heir apparent, on Monday. [31][32], Angered by the discrimination and violent persecution against Tamil people by successive Sri Lankan governments, Prabhakaran joined the student group Tamil Youth Front (TYF) during the standardisation debates. The idea was to negotiate terms of surrender with the army. Twenty four year old this terrorist was involved in a number of LTTE operations against the Security Forces including the aerial attack on the KATUNAYAKE Air Base on 26 March. The Hindu report After intense fighting resulting in thousands of civilians being killed and injured the 55 and 58 linked up along the Indian Ocean coast. Hearing on bail application of Manish Sisodia arrest in Delhi liquor scam today, Protest against the ban on celebrating Holi in BHU, Virat Anushka visit Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain. He is believed to have . But the debacle at Aanandapuram resulting in the deaths of 623 cadres including his northern force commander Col Theepan soured those plans. Founded in 1976, the LTTE came to prominence in 1983 after it ambushed a patrol of the Sri Lanka Army outside Jaffna, resulting in the deaths of 13 soldiers. B) The Board did not come through any material evidence to substantiate whether the Navy took a decision to accept the GCE (OL) Examination results in subsequent years (2003/2004) produced by Cadet Y.K. It is said that Parabahakaran groomed his son Anthony, whose body was found by forces today, to head the LTTE which he founded 30 years back on the plank of a separate nation for minority Tamils in Sri Lanka. A team of LTTE cadres consisting of 30 most loyal bodyguards of Prabhakaran and Prabhakaran himself tried to sneak through the mangrove islands of Nandikadal to its west bank. [20] A dog tag marked 001, two pistols, a T56 rifle with telescopic sight, a satellite phone, and a canister filled with diabetic medicine were found along with the body. Anthony started heading the Air Tigers, the air wing of LTTE, from early 2006 and was reported to have overseen the assembling of Czech-made Zlin-143 aircraft which the LTTE used to bomb key installation of the Sri Lankan army. which bombed Katunayake Airforce base here in March 2007. Velupillai Prabhakaran Parents, Siblings. He fought the Sri Lankan Civil War to make an independent state for the Tamil people in the north of Sri Lanka. Mr. Nedumaran exhorted the Indian Government to initiate necessary steps to prevent China from firming up its presence in the island nation. (The writer can be reached at [emailprotected]). `Air Tigers` from the jungles of Wanni in Sri Lanka. When the battle raged and LTTE started losing many of The slain rebel chief's elder son Charles Antony was killed a few days back. He is believed to have played a key role in building the air wing, which surprised the Sri Lankan military with a night raid on Colombo three months ago. Within a relatively quick period the various military divisions and task forces had made sweeping strides into Tiger territory. By Sri Lanka Brief. [98][99], Prabhakaran had over the years built up the LTTE into a powerful movement running a shadow state and had acquired the status of being Thesiya Thalaivar (leader of the land). This assessment got skewered after the fall of Paranthan in December 2008 which was a major turning point. As a result of the riots were several Tamils joining the LTTE and the LTTE marked the beginning of the Eelam War I. [80] Prabhakaran never developed a systematic philosophy, but did declare that his goal was 'revolutionary socialism and the creation of an egalitarian society'. When the battle raged and LTTE started losing many of its strongholds in the north, Prabhakaran and Charles took control of the Tamil Tiger's military wing and directed the fighters. For reprint rights: SL govt releases picture of Charles Anthony Prabhakaran, Amit Shah takes jibe at Congess, says party wiped out from northeast, Gangster Atiq Ahmed's aide's house bulldozed in Prayagraj. Even after losing the Jaffna-Kandy road or A-9 highway and all areas to its west the LTTE was yet confident of withstanding the army for a much longer period in areas east of the A-9 highway. Medegoda. The hasty evacuation of cadres trapped in the peninsula through a mini-Dunkirk type of operation indicated that the Tigers were indeed caught napping. This is what had been advertised. View the profiles of people named Charles Anthony Prabakaran. There had been no proper selection process. The LTTE was told explicitly to come out with white flags raised high. 8. At around 3:00a.m. on 18 May 2009, Prabhakaran's son Charles Anthony tried to break the defenses of the Army, but was unsuccessful. The whereabouts of Prabhakaran's teenage son Balachandran were also not known while LTTE chief's elder son Charles Anthony was killed and his body found in the No Fire Zone. There was a severe shortage of food and drinking water. [84] The LTTE also proposed the formation of an Interim Self Governing Authority during Peace Negotiations in 2003. Though no one is sure about Prabhakaran`s personal [69] Prabakaran's identity was confirmed by Karuna Amman, his former confidant, and through DNA testing against genetic material from his son, who had been killed earlier by the Sri Lankan military. DELHI The only available photograph of Charles Anthony Prabhakaran shows him as a cherubic youth in jeans and sneakers with his mother Mathivadhani and a battle fatigues-clad father Prabhakaran and his younger sister Dhuwaraha. After the Maithri-Ranil Government came to power, the Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Jayantha Perera set up a three-member Board of Inquiry to probe Yoshitha Rajapaksa. Prabhakaran and the senior tigers went into a brainstorming session. Nadesan, Pulidevan and Vijitha Anthony is reported to have been with Prabhakaran on the battlefront during the final phase of the war. reported to have secured an aeronautical engineering degree This was to be expected. Yogi government's bulldozing continues even today, Congress protests against BJP in Bengaluru, India-China dispute: Deployment of soldiers increases in Galwan Valley, Umesh Pal Murder Case: Action continues against Atiq Ahmed's close friend, Umesh Pal Case: In the Prayagraj murder case, the bulldozer went to the house of Mashukuddin. [28][29] Thiruvenkadam Velupillai was the District land Officer in the Ceylon Government. By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. Charles Anthony, Prabhakaran's eldest son was named after one of his most trusted lieutenants Charles Anthony Seelan who was killed by Sri Lankan forces in 1983. [71] A week later, the new Tamil Tiger leader, Selvarasa Pathmanathan, admitted that Prabhakaran was dead. Prabhakaran named his eldest son after Charles Anthony, a close and loyal confidant who was killed in a confrontation with the Sri Lankan army in the early 1980s. Anthony is reported to have been with Prabhakaran on the battlefront during the final phase of the war. It could also be the supremo laying down a succession plan like any other South Asian political dynasty. He has three kids with his wife, Balachandran Prabhakaran, Charles Anthony Prabhakaran, and Duvaraka Prabhakaran. The decade-old picture a rare photo-op of the LTTE's first family in the Wanni jungles. Velupillai Prabhakaran used to be 54 years veteran as of death. The three contingents together numbered about 250-300. It has been alleged that one bodyguard had a can of gasoline with him to burn the Tiger leader's body if he was killed or committed suicide. Seelan was a close friend and confidante of LTTE leader V. Prabhakaran. The LTTE had to do something to save the lives of cadres and civilians. [87][88][89][90], Prabhakaran was married to Mathivathani Erambu on 1 October 1984. The LTTE was virtually demolished. Charles Anthony (1989-2009) . 1998-2022 Diligent Media Corporation Limited, All Rights Reserved. He returned to northern Sri Lanka three months ago. Later, on the directions of the Ministry of Defence under Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Yoshitha was attached to the Presidential Security Division. [102] Prabhakaran was also called "Karikalan" for his bravery and his administration (in reference to Karikala Chola, a famous Chola king who ruled in Sangam Age.) Velupillai Prabhakaran parent's name is Thiruvenkadam Velupillai (father) and Vallipuram Parvathy (Mother). The Sri Lankan defence ministry has released what is the clearest photograph so far of LTTE leader Prabhakaran's 24-year-old son Charles Anthony. Anthony reportedly led a battalion of the LTTE when it almost lost all its major strongholds including Killinochi and Mullaitivu. Prabhakaran had been a shy, introverted person and had never mingled with girls outside his family before. Velupillai Prabhakaran was a married man. His father was an electrical foreman from Mandur in eastern Ceylon and his mother was a midwife from Jaffna in northern Ceylon who met whilst they were both working at Batticaloa Hospital. The episodes of Yoshitha Rajapaksa and Charles Anthony clearly manifest the contrast between Mahinda Rajapaksa and LTTE Leader Prabhakaran on commitment and patriotism. Karnataka BJP MLA's son caught red-handed receiving Rs 40 lakh bribe, 2 men break into Shah Rukh Khans residence Mannat, arrested, Court reserves order on Sisodias bail plea, AAP workers stage massive protest, Russian scientist who developed Covid vaccine strangled to death with belt: Report, Tunisha Sharma suicide case: Maharashtra court grants bail to Sheezan Khan, China strongest, most disciplined enemy US ever faced, says Nikki Haley, Russia will run out of money next year, need friendly nations to invest, says oligarch. It was reported that Charles Anthony rendered yeoman service to the LTTE being in charge of LTTE air strikes. You can find out more by clicking control of the Tamil Tiger`s military wing and directed the Thittam Irukku (Let them come near. [35][36], In 1975, after becoming heavily involved in the Tamil movement, he carried out the first major political assassination by a Tamil group, killing Alfred Duraiappah, the mayor of Jaffna, shooting him at point-blank range when he was about to enter the Hindu temple at Ponnaalai. Prabhakaran was the supreme leader of LTTE, which waged a 25-year civil war in Sri Lanka against the Sri Lankan government. He died on May 18, 2009, Mullaitivu, Sri Lanka.The parents of Velupillai Prabhakaran are Vallipuram Parvathy, Thiruvenkadam Velupillai. After fierce fighting led by Bhanu, three tiger contingents broke through. [38], In the early 1970s, United Front government of Sirimavo Bandaranaike introduced the Policy of standardisation which made the criteria for university admission lower for the Sinhalese than for the Tamils. Tirupporur near Chennai and has a daughter named Duwaraka -- Army Spokesman Brigadier Ravi Herath was reported in the media as having said that Prabhakarans death was confirmed after a DNA test. ", Prabhakaran also insisted firmly that only de-proscription would bring forth an amenable solution to the ongoing peace process mediated by Norway: "We have informed the government, we have told the Norwegians that de-proscription is a necessary condition for the commencements of talks."[65][66]. [63], Prabhakaran also answered a number of questions in which he reaffirmed their commitment towards the peace process, quoted "We are sincerely committed to the peace process. The negotiation attempt was to be conducted by political commissar Nadesan and peace secretariat director Pulidevan. Earlier he was involved with the LTTE air wing and computer division. The Sri Lankan military and the government gave public assurances that they would not be interrogated, harmed or ill-treated. Prasanna de Silva commanding the 55 division was transferred to the 59 division stationed in the south of the war zone. Jeyaraj D.b.s.jeyaraj can be reached at dbsjeyaraj@yahoo.com 2023-03-04T08:00:00.0000000Z However, Prabhakarans determination to stay in the battlefield in the face of defeat with his son Charles Anthony fighting the war demonstrated the commitment of Prabhakaran to his organization. minority Tamils in Sri Lanka. . At 7:30 am next morning, mopping-up operations started again. There was a time when the LTTE would not engage in major operations on the 8th, 17th or 26th. KP was berated. The LTTE had to surrender individually to the Army. The Tigers breached the army's forward linesm but were eventually crushed. Once these demands are accepted or a political solution is put forward by recognising these three fundamentals and our people are satisfied with the solutions we will consider giving up the demand for Eelam." Contrary to the stand of Prabhakaran, Mahindas bogus patriotism is crystal clear when the findings of that committee are read. [81][82][83] It focused single-mindedly on attaining an independent Tamil Eelam. A Tamil website says that Nadesans wife, an ex-police constable hailing from Matara district had, remonstrated with the army to save her husband and got shot. assembling of Czech-made Zlin-143 aircraft, which the LTTE used Join Facebook to connect with Charles Anthony Prabakaran and others you may know. It said soldiers also found a body they believed to be that of Charles Anthony, the older . Nedumaran, an ardent supporter of the LTTE for many decades, claimed that Prabhakaran was yet alive and would emerge soon. Velupillai Prabhakaran modified into a married man. Prabhakaran named his eldest son after Charles Anthony, a close and loyal confidante of his, who was killed in confrontations with the Sri Lankan Army years ago. This time, they were confronted by the fighters, led by Prabhakaran himself. By then, the LTTE, which came to be known as the Tamil Tigers, controlled large swathes of land in the north and east of the country, running a de facto state with Prabhakaran as its leader. Four of his bodyguards were lying dead in the vicinity. The 89-year-old Tamil politician (will turn 90 on 10 March) held a press conference in Thanjavur on Monday and attempted to resurrect Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) supremo Veluppillai Prabhakaran from the dead. (File | Reuters) 5 / 10 Thileepan, a Lt. colonel rank officer adopted Gandhian means to protest against the IPKF killings by staging a fast unto death from 15 September 1987, and by abstaining from food or water until 26 September, when he died in front of thousands of Tamils who had come there to fast along with him. At 12:15 pm army commander Sarath Fonseka officially announced Prabhakaran's death on TV. Even as the army drew closer and closer to the beleaguered tigers the senior deputies began entreating Prabhakaran to withdraw from the war zone. [54] This speech is seen as a historic turning point in the Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism. Troops started collecting bodies again. were found. Groomed by his father to take over the reins of LTTE after him, Charles Anthony, the eldest son of the outfit's supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran, headed the 'Air Tigers' from the jungles of Wanni in . Significantly the venue was the Mullivaaikkaal Muttram memorial constructed in Thanjavur to those killed at Mullivaaikkaal in Mullaitheevu district during the final stages of the war in May 2009. "Prabhakaran knows that the movement will collapse if he is killed. Prabakaran who led a separatist war for the island nations Tamil minority as the head of LTTE was declared killed by the Sri Lankan government troops on May 18, 2009 in Mullaivaikkal in the northern Mullaithivu district. Once this message was sent, Prabhakaran and the rest went silent. The Lankan defence establishment poised to destroy the LTTE was not going to let that opportunity slip. The Tigers were confident that the army would not be able to proceed beyond a certain point. According to a recent confession by Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP, Charles Anthony had spoken to KP and had requested him to take his father, mother, sister and the younger brother to a safe location overseas. There was an impression at that time among the tigers that the 58 commander Shavendra Silva was more humane than new 59 commander Prasanna Silva. [101] He was also called as Anna/Annai, meaning 'elder brother' by his younger cadets and the younger Sri Lankan Tamil people. The bodies have been identified by the Sri Lanka Army. This was a new experience. They show Balachandran Prabhakaran, son of rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, eating chocolate on a bench. . It did not take help from then, he said. The troops also claimed to have found the body of Charles Anthony, 24, Prabhakaran's son. Prabhakaran aged 15, dropped out of school and got associated with the Kuttimani-Thangathurai group (which evolved later into TELO) formed by Selvarajah Yogachandran (known as Kuttimani) and Nadarajah Thangathurai who both also hailed from Valvettithurai. This was done on the directions of the Ministry of Defence, in January 2015. [46] Failing the attempt, Prabhakaran managed to shoot and kill Duraiappah who was on a visit at a Hindu temple at Ponnalai on 27 July 1975. However the initial identification of Prabhakarans body was based on the affirmative confirmation of Col Karuna and Daya master and not the DNA test findings. Anthony is reported to have been with Prabhakaran on While Charles was on the battlefront during the final It had been observed by the committee that it was all arranged by Udayanga Weeratunga, former Sri Lanka Ambassador to Russia and first cousin of Rajapaksa. Incidentally Charles born in 1985 had cut his teeth in active combat during the recent fighting. C) When Cadet Rajapaksa was undergoing training at the Naval Maritime Academy; three senior Navy sailors had been assigned to provide security for him. DNA test findings the battlefront during the final phase of the war. [86], Tactically, Prabhakaran perfected the recruitment and use of suicide bomber units. All the content on this website is copyright protected and can be reproduced only by giving the due courtesy to 'ft.lk' Copyright 2004 Wijeya Newspapers Ltd. She had come along for interpreting. His spouse Madhivadhany, daughter Duvaraga and sons Charles Anthony and Balachandran .were also dead. View the profiles of people named Charles Anthony Prabhakaran. Sri Lankan special forces have . When the Sri Lankan military rapidly advanced into the last LTTE held territory in the final days of 20082009 SLA Northern offensive, Prabhakaran and his top leadership retreated into Vellamullivaikkal, Mullaitivu. 1998-2023 India Dot Com Private Limited. Brig. Fauda Television Series Review in Hindi by Pratik BoradeFauda TV Show ReviewFauda Season 3 ReviewFauda all Seasons ReviewFauda All Episodes Review mlFauda TV. Will Manish Sisodia get bail or will the remand increase? Rajapaksa. CHARLES ANTHONY, the elder son of the terrorist leader V. PRABHAKARAN, was in charge of the Information Technology Division and the Air Wing of the LTTE. Is Putin secretly living with his girlfriend? In trying to breakthrough, a 140-strong Tiger unit led by Pottu Amman and Charles Anthony, Prabhakaran's elder son, first pretended to be civilian refugees but soon opened deadly fire and unleashed 30 suicide bombers on the Lankan guards. This time, Sergeant Muthu Banda, attached to Sri Lanka Army Task Force VIII, reported to Ravipriya that a body similar to Prabhakaran's had been found. Apart from those more than 800 Tigers were seriously injured. The firing stopped as all LTTE fighters died in the battle. Another brother, Vaseekaran alias "Lieutenant Siddharth", was killed in an explosion in Kaithadi on 14 February 1987. [56] His source of inspiration and direction was Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism, and his stated and ultimate ideal was to get Tamil Eelam recognised as a nation as per the U.N. Charter that guarantees the right of a people to political independence. He was born on 26 November 1954, in Valvettithurai, Dominion of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Finally, the military found the body of Charles Anthony killed in the war. [46] As a response to this were one of the worst government sponsored anti-Tamil riots held (the event known as Black July) resulting in the destruction of Tamil houses and shops and death of hundreds of Tamils and making over 150 000 Tamils homeless. There were reports at the time . "[64], During the interview, he stated that the right condition has not risen to give up the demand of Tamil Eelam. The claim was rejected by Sri Lanka which issued a statement stating that Prabhakaran's corpse had been confirmed by his close associates as well as DNA testing.[78][79]. But the rapid progress of the Army during this phase took the LTTE by surprise. Sinhalese version - Photos of LTTE Leader Prabhakaran, wife Mathivathani Prabakaran, son Charles Anthony and daughter Duwaraha and their luxury life over the reins of LTTE after him, Charles Anthony, the eldest 'Army medical experts have confirmed that DNA tests on Prabhakaran (54) and his son Charles Anthony (24) have matched', military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said. Nedumarans disclosures were given wide prominence in the Indian mainstream media. He was to be assisted by special commander from the east, Ramesh. Adding insult injury over the illegal procedures adopted to recruit Yoshitha to the Navy, these special arrangements and other privileges including the selection of Lt. Rajapaksa for special prizes had been provided by a former Navy Commander, Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda. Considered the heart of Tamil culture and literature in Sri Lanka, Jaffna was concentrated with growing Tamil nationalism, which called for autonomy for Tamils to protest the discrimination against them by the Sinhalese-dominated Sri Lanka government and Sinhalese civilians since Sri Lanka gained independence from Britain in 1948.[17].