Govt extends ban imposed on LTTE for 5 years

The Centre on Tuesday extended the ban imposed on the LTTE by five more years for fostering a separatist tendency amongst the masses and enhancing the support base for it in the country particularly in Tamil Nadu besides threatening the territorial integrity of IndiaThe Union Home Ministry imposed the ban invoking the subsections 1 and 3 of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act 1967In a notification the home ministry noted that the LTTE is an association based in Sri Lanka but has supporters sympathisers and agents in the territory of IndiaThe central government is of the opinion that the LTTE is still indulging in activities which are prejudicial to the integrity and security of the countryIt said that even after its military defeat in May 2009 in Sri Lanka the LTTE has not abandoned the concept of Eelam an independent country for Tamils and has been clandestinely working towards the Eelam cause by undertaking fund raising and propaganda activities and the remnant LTTE leaders or cadres have also initiated efforts to regroup the scattered activists and resurrect the outfit locally and internationallyThe proLTTE groupselements continue to foster a separatist tendency amongst the masses and enhance the support base for LTTE in India and particularly in Tamil Nadu which will ultimately have a strong disintegrating influence over the territorial integrity of India the notification saidThe home ministry said the groups objective for a separate homeland Tamil Eelam for all Tamils threatens the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India and amounts to cession and secession of a part of the territory of India from the Union and thus falls within the ambit of unlawful activitiesLTTE sympathisers living abroad continue to spread antiIndia propaganda among Tamils holding India responsible for the defeat of the LTTE which if not checked is likely to develop a sense of hate among Tamil populace towards the central government and the Indian Constitution it saidDespite the ban the activities of proLTTE organisations and individuals have come to notice and attempts have been made by these forces to extend their support to the LTTE the ministry saidLTTE leaders operatives and supporters have been inimically opposed to Indias policy on their organisation and action of the state machinery in curbing their activities the notification saidCases have been registered under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act 1967 against LTTE proLTTE groups or elements since the last ban on the group five years ago and that indicate that LTTE and its remnant cadres followers and supporters are involved in various criminal activities including smuggling of illegal drugs arms for furtherance of objective of the outfitThe activities of the LTTE continue to pose a threat to and are detrimental to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India as also to the public order and it should be declared as an unlawful association the home ministry saidAs the LTTE continues with its disruptive separatist and secessionist activities which are prejudicial to the integrity and sovereignty of India and its strong antiIndia posture posing a grave threat to the security of Indian nationals it is necessary to declare LTTE as an unlawful association with immediate effectThe LTTE was formed in 1976 and emerged as one of the most lethal terrorist group over the yearsIndia had banned the LTTE after the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 Since then the ban imposed on the group has been extended every five yearsThe terror organisation had suffered a military defeat in 2009 in Sri Lanka following the killing of its chief Velupillai PrabhakaranThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever