A Muslim NGO worker, Mr. Jamaldeen Gowthu was brutally assaulted and shot dead in Cheddikulam, Vavuniya on 10.11.2007 by the LTTE, according to reports. Mr. Gowthu (40), father of 3 children was the District Manager of Rural Development Foundation’s (RDF) Trincomalee branch.

Mr. Gowthu was visiting a friend, a Tamil doctor in Veerapuram, accompanied by Mr. S.S. Firdhous when they were abducted by two armed persons believed to be from Makkal Padai (a para military of LTTE). They were taken to a place in Periyapuliyalakulam 3km away where they were both assaulted brutally and then Mr. Gowthu had been shot dead.

The colleague had somehow managed to escape with injuries by fleeing into a nearby jungle and reached Mankulam where he was able to inform the Police that the assailants were LTTE cadres who spoke to them despicably before assaulting them and shooting. Mr. Firdhous (30), father of four was immediately admitted to the Puttalam hospital for treatment.

Rural Development Foundation (RDF) closed its offices for three days to mourn the brutal murder of its Trincomalee District Manager Mr. Jamaldeen Gowthu last week. Late Mr. Jamaldeen Gowthu’s murder has sent shock waves amongst Muslim NGO workers in the North East since the victim had maintained cordial relations with all communities.

During his period as District Manager he had devoted his services to the underprivileged without any discrimination of religion, caste and ethnic differences. He had maintained a cordial relation with government officials, International organizations and District level organizations all throughout his service.

According to the survivor, late Gowthu had pleaded with the Tigers showing his RDF identity card and had explained his cordial relationship with the Tamil community but his plea was disregarded. Having realized he was going to be killed he had pleaded for two minutes of prayers which was also refused callously. After severely torturing them, the assailants had taken them into a jungle when the bicycle in which Gowthu was taken went a few yards ahead of Firdhous’s bike. He then heard gunshots and felt that Gowthu was killed and decided to try to escape. He managed to push the rider and jumped at a convenient spot and hid himself to a nearby bush. The 2 Tigers thinking that their victim was running released all bullets towards the direction where he jumped and left the scene.

Firdhous who now made sure that the Tigers had left proceeded further in dead night in the jungle, climbed a tree where he marked time till sunrise to find his way out. After few hours he heard the Azan for Subah prayer from the loudspeaker and walked towards that direction and managed to find his way out to the Mankulam mosque.

It is learnt that the motive of the LTTE manhunt was that these two had come from Mankulam, a Muslim hamlet, close to an STF camp probably, that had failed to observe the Tamil Ealam mourning day when the LTTE political chief late S.P. Thamilchelvan’s funeral was held.

Mankulam Muslims were in a quandary on Thamilchelvan’s funeral day whether to hoist white flags and close shops to mark the said funeral due to fear of being harassed by the nearest STF camp for doing so. So they decided not to observe the day and that has been the likely motive of the brutal murder of Gowthu, and torture of his companion Firdhous.