SUMMARY
EPRLF (The Eelam Peoples Revolutionary Liberation Front) was a militant political and military Tamil group, originating as a breakaway faction of the Eelam Revolutionary Organization of Students (EROS), mainly encompassing Sri-Lankan based Tamils (mainly students) in conflict with EROS’ London-based central leadership. The date EPRLF was formed is less certain, as there are sources claiming the organization officially came into existence in 1980, 1981 or 1982 – however, all sources hint of the split occurring in 1980. The organization quickly established links with Palestinian groups, such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which trained upper-echelon members of EPRLF on at least one occasion in 1984. The organization existed and functioned both in Sri Lanka and in Madras (Chennai) in Tamil Nadu, India.
The leader of EPRLF was K. Padmanabha (a.k.a. Ranjan, a.k.a. Nabha), acting as Secretary General between the inception of the group and his killing, reportedly by LTTE, on the 19 June 1990 . This role was then taken over by Suresh Premachandran, then MP from Jaffna district. Other important members of EPRLF were Varadaraja Perumal (Chief Minister of the North-Eastern Province of Sri Lanka during the Indo-Sri Lankan accords of 1988-1990) and Douglas Devananda (until 1986) when he created splinter organisation EPRLF-Douglas (EPRLF-D) EPRLF-D quickly transformed into a political party under the name of Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP). During the split, the original EPRLF took the name EPRLF-Ranjan (EPRLF-R), but quickly reverted to its original name.
Between 1984 and 1985, EPRLF was part of the Eelam National Liberation Front (ENLF), together with EROS, PLOTE and TELO, and, for a short time, LTTE. After ENLF broke down, relations between LTTE and EPRLF soured substantially, becoming highly inimical. This was more-so the case after the 1987 Indo-Sri Lanka Accord, which EPRLF accepted, allying itself with the Government of India and the Indian Peacekeeping mission and deciding to take part in the Sri Lankan electoral process. While their involvement in the political process did bring them some de jure political power – as they often ran elections uncontested and with the full support of the Indians, it triggered significant LTTE retaliation. As such, in 1988, EPRLF gained political control of the so-called North-Eastern Province (the Tamil areas of Sri Lanka). Initially, the Indian Peacekeeping Forces (IPKF) provided security for EPRLF. However, their withdrawal in 1989 changed the situation drastically, and a quick, improvised attempt was made by the EPRLF to recreate a military wing. As such, a conscript Tamil force was hastily constructed as a wing of EPRLF, under the banner of a so-called Tamil National Army (TNA). However, this proved futile – as TNA was a weakly armed and weakly trained group, without the aid of the IPKF (that was ordered by Sri Lanka to cease any support to EPRLF, as TNA was considered an illegal addition to EPRLF), fighting both the LTTE and, now, the government. The military wing was quickly destroyed, and by 1990, it ceased to exist. This forced much of the organisation leadership to relocate to India, despite their continuing participation in the Sri Lankan electoral process (in 1989 the group had its first MPs in the Sri Lankan parliament, winning a seat in Jaffna district by allying itself with the Tamil United Liberation Front). The last members of EPRLF in what was the North-Eastern Province left for India in March 1990.
After the death of Padmanabha, EPRLF continued to exist, participating in the 1997 municipal elections in Jaffna. However, in 1999 EPRLF broke in two separate factions after then-General Secretary Suresh Premachandran reached a settlement with LTTE. Both resulting factions continued to use the EPRLF name, and continued to participate with very limited success in the electoral framework of Sri Lanka.
EPRLF has been involved in the intra-state and non-state categories of UCDP organised violence.
