Kandiah Balasegaran

Balasegaram Kandiah also known as Balraj was the senior commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Early life

Balasegaram Kandiah was born to Kandiah and Kannagi. Balraj was the youngest of a family of four boys and one girl. Balraj had his primary education at Kokkuthoduwaai in Mullaitheevu district and secondary education at Pulmoddai in the Trincomalee district. Balraj passed his O levels and his parents were very keen to send him to university but this didn't work out as there too many riots in the country. Balraj could speak Tamil, Sinhala and English fluently. None of his siblings joined the Tigers but some of his nephews and nieces did.

Personal life

Balraj married a woman cadre Varathaa, one of Velupillai Prabhakaran's relative making him a relative of the LTTE leader. Velupillai Prabhakaran trusted him very much and proposed the wedding himself. Varathaa like Balraj had injured her leg in a battle. Balraj soon had problems with his wife and they soon separated. Balraj never had children. His wife was stung by a russel's viper and died. Even though they separated Balraj was emotionally affected.