K. S. Raja
Encyclopedia
K. S. Raja was a very popular Radio Ceylon
radio announcer from Sri Lanka
. He was popular with his audiences in both Sri Lanka and in Tamil Nadu
in India
. During the course of the Sri Lankan civil war
, he was killed by unknown gunmen.
(see here) in the Jaffna
peninsula to middle class minority
Sri Lankan Tamil parents and grew up in Kotatadi, Jaffna.
in India
.
anti-minority pogrom
he briefly moved to India and was involved with the Tamil militant group Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front
(EPRLF). Subsequent to the Indo-Sri Lanka peace accord in 1987, he returned to his former job in Radio Ceylon now known as Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation
.
With the resumption of hostilities between the government of Sri Lanka and the main rebel group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE) he was abducted by unknown persons and found murdered in a Colombo
beach.
(EPDP) which in itself was a pro government splinter group from the EPRLF that K. S. Raja was once part of, K. S. Raja was killed by orders of Douglas Devananda
the leader of EPDP.
When Douglas Devanada was asked about his involvement in the murder of K. S. Raja, he did not directly deny responsibility or answer the question instead pointed to other journalists allegedly killed by LTTE.. In its official website EPDP has accused the rebel LTTE as being behind the killing.
Radio Ceylon
Radio Ceylon is the oldest radio station in Asia. Broadcasting was started on an experimental basis in Ceylon by the Telegraph Department in 1923, just three years after the inauguration of broadcasting in Europe.- Edward Harper :...
radio announcer from Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. He was popular with his audiences in both Sri Lanka and in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. During the course of the Sri Lankan civil war
Sri Lankan civil war
The Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...
, he was killed by unknown gunmen.
Biography
He was born in a town called KarainagarKarainagar
Karainagar is located 20 km from Jaffna, Sri Lanka, on the Karaitivu . In Tamil, it translates to Coastal-Town .Karainagar island is about area and the registered voters 20,000 voted in 1977 national election....
(see here) in the Jaffna
Jaffna
Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...
peninsula to middle class minority
Minority group
A minority is a sociological group within a demographic. The demographic could be based on many factors from ethnicity, gender, wealth, power, etc. The term extends to numerous situations, and civilizations within history, despite the misnomer of minorities associated with a numerical statistic...
Sri Lankan Tamil parents and grew up in Kotatadi, Jaffna.
Career in Radio Ceylon
He was a pioneering announcer in the Tamil language known for his melodious voice and innovative programs. His programs were popular in the state of Tamil NaduTamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
His death
After the 1983 Black JulyBlack July
Black July is the commonly used name for the anti-Tamil pogrom and attacks carried out by mobs in Sri Lanka which began on July 23, 1983. The riots occurred following a deadly ambush by a Tamil militant organization known as Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam which killed 13 Sri Lanka Army soldiers...
anti-minority pogrom
Pogrom
A pogrom is a form of violent riot, a mob attack directed against a minority group, and characterized by killings and destruction of their homes and properties, businesses, and religious centres...
he briefly moved to India and was involved with the Tamil militant group Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front
Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front
The Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front is a Sri Lankan political party and a former militant separatist group.-Militant separatists:The EPRLF was formed in 1980 by K...
(EPRLF). Subsequent to the Indo-Sri Lanka peace accord in 1987, he returned to his former job in Radio Ceylon now known as Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation
Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation
The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation came into existence on January 5, 1967 when Radio Ceylon became a public corporation. Dudley Senanayake who was the Prime Minister of Ceylon in 1967 ceremonially opened the newly established Ceylon Broadcasting Corporation along with Minister Ranasinghe...
.
With the resumption of hostilities between the government of Sri Lanka and the main rebel group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was a separatist militant organization formerly based in northern Sri Lanka. Founded in May 1976 by Vellupillai Prabhakaran, it waged a violent secessionist and nationalist campaign to create an independent state in the north and east of Sri Lanka for Tamil...
(LTTE) he was abducted by unknown persons and found murdered in a Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
beach.
Controversy
According a former member of a political party and a paramilitary group known as the Eelam People's Democratic PartyEelam People's Democratic Party
The Eelam People's Democratic Party is a political party and a pro-government paramilitary organization in Sri Lanka. It is led by its founder Douglas Devananda.-Background:...
(EPDP) which in itself was a pro government splinter group from the EPRLF that K. S. Raja was once part of, K. S. Raja was killed by orders of Douglas Devananda
Douglas Devananda
Kathiravelu Nithyananda Douglas Devananda, commonly known as Douglas Devananda, is a Sri Lankan Tamil politician, Cabinet Minister and leader of the Eelam People's Democratic Party. Originally a Sri Lanka Tamil militant who fought against the Sri Lankan government for an independent Tamil Eelam, he...
the leader of EPDP.
When Douglas Devanada was asked about his involvement in the murder of K. S. Raja, he did not directly deny responsibility or answer the question instead pointed to other journalists allegedly killed by LTTE.. In its official website EPDP has accused the rebel LTTE as being behind the killing.