Sri Lankan Admiral alleges Indira & Rajiv armed the LTTE
A Sri Lankan Navy commander’s startling disclosure has placed the Indian National Congress and two former Prime Ministers in a politically sensitive position. “Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, during their tenures as Prime Ministers, armed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) extensively with weapons and logistical support. The LTTE terrorists received training in weaponry and explosive devices from Indian security agencies under the orders of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi,” writes Wasantha Karannagoda, Sri Lanka’s first Admiral of the Fleet (equivalent to Field Marshal or Marshal of the Air Force), in his memoir ‘The Turning Point: The Naval Role in Sri Lanka’s War on LTTE Terrorism‘, published by Penguin Books.
This is the first time a Sri Lankan official of such high standing has made such a disclosure. Karannagoda was the Chief of the Sri Lankan Navy in 2009 whenSri Lanka’s defence forces eliminated the LTTE and its leaderVelupillai Prabhakaran. The Navy played a crucial role in trapping the Tamil Tiger leader in the Northern Province of Mullaitivu. Karannagoda personally led the naval forces, often against the preferences of the Naval establishment, which feared for his safety.
Karannagoda lists the names of the Indian security and intelligence agencies that played a significant role in arming the LTTE. However, the most politically explosive revelation is the alleged undeclared “courtship and honeymoon” between Rajiv Gandhi and Prabhakaran. According to Karannagoda, when the Sri Lankan military, including the Navy, had surrounded Prabhakaran in Jaffna during Operation Liberation in June 1987, Rajiv Gandhi ordered Indian forces to facilitate his escape.
“During President J R Jayewardene’s reign, the military launched Operation Liberation to clear the LTTE from the eastern half of the Jaffna Peninsula, an area known as Vadamarachchi. During this operation, the army managed to surround the place where LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran was hiding. As the army closed in to arrest or kill him, the Indian government under Rajiv Gandhi came to his rescue,” writes Karannagoda.
The admiral further states that it was under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi that the LTTE was nurtured with training facilities in India, along with funds, arms, and ammunition.
In its bid to save Prabhakaran, the Indian Air Force cargo aircraft, escorted by fighter jets, entered Sri Lankan airspace in blatant violation of international norms and Sri Lanka’s sovereignty. The pretext was to airdrop humanitarian aid — dry rations — into the Jaffna Peninsula, but the real purpose, Karannagoda claims, was to prevent Prabhakaran’s capture or death. This operation, called Operation Poomalai, forced the Sri Lankan government to halt Operation Liberation and enter into dialogue with the LTTE.
India then compelled Sri Lanka to sign the Indo–Lanka Peace Accord on July 29, 1987, and sent the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) to monitor the truce.
Karannagoda asserts that had India not intervened and allowed Prabhakaran’s capture, thousands of lives — including Rajiv Gandhi’s own — could have been saved. The Soviet-built AN-32 military transport aircraft that took off from Bangalore Air Base, accompanied by Mirage 2000 fighter jets, took part in Operation Poomalai to deliver supplies to the besieged LTTE.
While the Indian public was told by the Rajiv Gandhi government that the IPKF was sent at the request of the Sri Lankan government, the admiral claims that the troops entered Jaffna by force and suffered heavy casualties at the hands of the LTTE, which burned alive hundreds of Indian soldiers and officers.
Sri Lankan political insiders told PGuru that despite the aid given to the LTTE by Indira and Rajiv Gandhi, the Sinhala majority continued to hold India in high regard. However, the airdropping of supplies to the LTTE-held territory shocked the Sri Lankan public.
Many Sri Lankan politicians and policymakers believe that this incident pushed Sri Lanka closer to Pakistan and China. The DMK, a key Congress ally in the UPA government, also used its influence to push for the controversial Sethusamudram Shipping Channel Project — an 83 km canal linking India’s east and west coasts through the Palk Strait. Despite expert opinion deeming it a financial and ecological disaster, the UPA pressed ahead until the Supreme Court halted the project due to environmental concerns. The UPA government even filed an affidavit in court claiming that Lord Rama was a mythological figure and the Ramayana a legend.
Karannagoda also claims that peace accords and ceasefires between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government — often brokered by European nations such as Norway — were designed to give the LTTE time to rest, rearm, and regroup. These truces were exploited by the LTTE to procure more arms and ammunition.
In his 22-chapter memoir, Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda details how the Sri Lankan Navy evolved into a highly effective force capable of countering the asymmetric warfare tactics of the LTTE. He describes the alleged role of former Indian Prime Ministers Indira and Rajiv Gandhi in supporting the LTTE, as well as internal sabotage within the Sri Lankan Navy, where sensitive strategies were leaked, enabling the LTTE to evade naval operations..
Note:
1. Text in Blue points to additional data on the topic.
2. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.
For all the latest updates, download PGurus App.
- Destruction of Ashok Chakra at Hazratbal: There is more than what meets the eye - September 8, 2025
- Stalin strengthens the demand for the secession of TN from India - September 5, 2025
- Marxists plan Global Ayyappa Meet to woo Hindu votes and investments - September 1, 2025
