War Journey by Malarvan

'The child you threatened once, the young shoot you stepped on,

the Tamil you teased, is standing with a gun in front of you.'

This short diary was recovered from Malaravan's kit after he was killed

in action in 1992, when barely twenty. In it, he recounts his unit's journey

to Maankulam, the island's granary, to fight a critical battle where they

routed the Lankan military. The LTTE's planning and tactics, the fervour

and camaraderie of the young Tigers, and the actual combat are minutely

chronicled. As a foil to the violence, Malaravan brings out the beauty

of the Tamil forest and countryside and the humanity and support of the

common people for them, despite their suffering under army rule.

Bittersweet, fresh and lyrical at times, War Journey is a testament

to the Tamil longing for a homeland and the wider conflict

that once engulfed the island.