S P THAMILSELVAN, Leader of the LTTE's political wing

The Man seated in the middle is the leader of the political wing of the LTTE S P Thamilselvan.

He is a close confidant of LTTE chief V Prabhakaran and was formerly a key guerrilla commander of the LTTE in key areas like Chavakachcheri and Jaffna.

He was injured in the leg in an encounter with the Indian peace keeping force in the Vanni region in the late1980's.

He walks with the help of an ornate walking stick.

He was made head of the Political wing in 1994.

Before December 1994, the LTTE's political wing was called the People's Front of the Liberation Tigers, PFLT.

The PFLT was headed since its inception by Mathaya, one time deputy leader of the tamil tiger rebels who was then considered Prabhakaran's right hand man.

However, on 28the December 1994, Mathaya and a few of his followers were executed by the LTTE, after an investigation into an alleged plot to assasinate Prabhakaran found them guilty.

The investigations according to insiders also revealed the alleged role of India's external intelligence agency the Research and Analysis Wing, RAW.

The PFLT was dissolved immediately after the indictment of Mathaya, the political wing was restructured and Thamilselvan who had been functioning as the military commander of the Jaffna peninsula for the LTTE, was appointed as the head of the political wing.

Thamilselvan was hardly in his teens when he joined the LTTE in 1984. According to insiders it was his dedication, coupled with his passion for the struggle which caught the eye of prabhakaran. Following his military training, Prabhakaran hand picked him to join the inner circle of the LTTE by recruiting him as one of his most trusted body-guards.

He was promoted to the post of commander of Tenmarachchi, where he was faced with the challenge of leading the resistance against the Indian Peace Keeping Force, IPKF.

Prabhakaran was happy with his performance there and rewarded him with the post of commander of Jaffna. Here he engaged in many battles with the IPKF. During these battles he was injured many time. The most dangerous injury that almost killed him came when a shrapnel from exploding aerial bombs shattered his leg. With his limbs hanging from his body and bleeding profusely, Tamilselvan was on the brink of death when was brought to the Jaffna hospital for resuscitation treatment.

He survied his injuries. After a long period of recuperation and rehabilitation he now walks with the support of a walking stick.

I have interviews S P Thamilselvan on three occasions. He is softspoken, mild mannered and has a command on the Tamil language that is unique. He is patient and despite having a tight schedule gave me much more than the time alloted to me and answered all questions without getting unduly bothered.

The above picture was shot by Nilanjan Chowdhury in the LTTE's headquarters at Killinochi.