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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Daya Master
| honorific_suffix =
| native_name = வேலாயுதம் தயானிதி
| pronunciation = Vēlāyutam Tayāniti
| other_names = தயா மாஸ்டர் ( "Daya Master" )
| native_name_lang = ta
| image = Velayutham Dayanidhi (Daya Master).jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name = Velayutham Dayanidhi
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1954|03|03|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Point Pedro]], [[Dominion of Ceylon|Ceylon]]
| death_date =
| death_place =
| death_cause =
| nationality = [[Sri Lanka]]n
| citizenship = Sri Lanka
| education =
| alma_mater =
| occupation = Media
| years_active = 20 April 2009
| organization = [[Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam]]
| known_for = Involvement with LTTE
| title =
| term =
| predecessor =
| successor =
| party =
| spouse =
| partner =
| children =
| parents =
| relatives =
| callsign =
| awards =
| signature =
| signature_alt =
| signature_size =
| website = 
| footnotes =
}}
'''Velayutham Dayanidhi''' ({{lang-ta|வேலாயுதம் தயாநிதி}} ''Vēlāyutam Tayāniti''; born 3 March 1954; commonly known as '''Daya Master''') was a leading member and media spokesman for the [[Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam]] (LTTE), a [[Sri Lankan Tamil militant groups|separatist Tamil militant organisation]] in [[Sri Lanka]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Haviland|first=Charles|title=Sri Lanka war 'a waste of people's lives' – ex-Tiger|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11318187|newspaper=[[BBC News]]|date=15 September 2010}}</ref>

==Early life and family==
Dayanidhi was born on 3 March 1954 in [[Kilinochchi]] in northern [[Dominion of Ceylon|Ceylon]].<ref name=DM220409>{{cite news|title=Daya Master surrenders |url=http://archives.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=46786 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130703025339/http://archives.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=46786 |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 July 2013 |newspaper=[[The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)]] |date=21 April 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Daya Master & George Master surrender to army troops |url=http://lankaenews.com/English/news.php?id=7515 |newspaper=Lanka-e-News/[[Sri Lanka Army]] |date=21 April 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090425112125/http://www.lankaenews.com/English/news.php?id=7515 |archive-date=2009-04-25 }}</ref> He hails from Thambasiddy near [[Point Pedro]].<ref name=DM220409/><ref name=AT160706>{{cite news|title=Who is this Daya Master?|url=http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/1112|newspaper=[[Asian Tribune]]|date=16 July 2006}}</ref> He worked as [[private tutor]] of [[English language]] and acquired the name Daya Master.<ref name=DM220409/><ref name=AT160706/>

Daya Master married his wife, a teacher, in 1996.<ref name=FL031112>{{cite journal|last1=Subramanian|first1=Nirupama|last2=Radhakrishnan|first2=R. K.|title=Rising from the ruins|journal=[[Frontline (magazine)|Frontline]]|date=3 November 2012|volume=29|issue=22|url=http://www.frontline.in/navigation/?type=static&page=flonnet&rdurl=fl2922/stories/20121116292200400.htm}}</ref> They have a daughter.<ref name=FL031112/>

==Militant==
It's alleged that when the [[Indian Peace Keeping Force]] occupied northern Sri Lanka in the late 1980s, the [[Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front]] (EPRLF), an Indian-backed Tamil militant group, arrested and tortured Daya Master for supporting the LTTE.<ref name=AT160706/> It's alleged that Daya Master only survived death due to the pity shown by EPRLF commander Sugi.<ref name=AT160706/>

Daya Master grew closer to LTTE in the early 1990s and during the 1994 peace process he, on behalf of the LTTE, met with dignitaries from the South who were visiting [[Jaffna peninsula]].<ref name=AT160706/> Later, with the help of Colonel [[Soosai]], he became the LTTE's media spokesman.<ref name=AT160706/> He came to prominence as the LTTE's public relations man during the 2002–06 cease fire.<ref>{{cite news|last=Leng|first=Peter|title=Tamil Tigers' changing stripes|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/2256215.stm|newspaper=[[BBC News]]|date=14 September 2002}}</ref>

After suffering a [[heart attack]] Daya Master was admitted to the [[Private hospital|private]] [[Lanka Hospitals|Apollo Hospital]] in [[Colombo]] on 13 July 2006 to undergo an [[angiogram]].<ref name=TN160706a>{{cite news|title=Operation Daya Master at dead of night|url=http://www.nation.lk/2006/07/16/news11.htm|newspaper=[[The Nation (Sri Lanka)]]|date=16 July 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Daya Master at Apollo |url=http://archives.dailymirror.lk/2006/07/14/front/07.asp |newspaper=[[The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)]] |date=14 July 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130404002116/http://archives.dailymirror.lk/2006/07/14/front/07.asp |archive-date=2013-04-04 }}</ref> He was transported from [[Kilinochchi]] to Colombo with military escort in the [[Mitsubishi Montero]] belonging to [[United People's Freedom Alliance|UPFA]] provincial minister Ananda Sarath Kumara Rathnayake.<ref name=TN160706a/><ref>{{cite news|title=Daya Master's vehicle and the ministerial connection|url=http://www.thesundayleader.lk/archive/20060723/issues.htm|newspaper=[[The Sunday Leader]]|date=23 July 2006|author=Dilrukshi Handunnetti|author2=Jamila Najmuddin}}</ref> The [[Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism|Sinhalese nationalist]] National Movement Against Terrorism staged a protest outside the hospital on 14 July 2006, demanding Daya Master's arrest.<ref>{{cite news|title=NMAT demands Daya Master's arrest|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=18808|newspaper=[[TamilNet]]|date=15 July 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Rutnam |first=Easwaran |title=NMAT at Apollo: Arrest Daya Master |url=http://archives.dailymirror.lk/2006/07/15/front/2.asp |newspaper=[[The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)]] |date=15 July 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130403133516/http://archives.dailymirror.lk/2006/07/15/front/2.asp |archive-date=2013-04-03 }}</ref> Daya Master was discharged on 15 July 2006.<ref>{{cite news|title=Daya Master discharged from hospital in Colombo|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=18812|newspaper=[[TamilNet]]|date=16 July 2006}}</ref> He returned to Kilinochchi, escorted by the Sri Lankan military and the [[Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission]] (SLMM).<ref name=TN160706b>{{cite news|last=Bastians|first=Dharisha|title=Daya Master discharged|url=http://www.nation.lk/2006/07/16/news2.htm|newspaper=[[The Nation (Sri Lanka)]]|date=16 July 2006}}</ref> It was reported that the SLMM had paid the hospital bill.<ref>{{cite news|title=SLMM in fresh bid to get SI released|url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/060716/news/np1.1.html|newspaper=[[The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)]]|date=16 July 2006}}</ref> The SLMM denied the reports.<ref name=TN160706b/> It was alleged that the Sri Lankan Government had allowed Daya Master to travel to Colombo in return for the LTTE releasing [[Sub Inspector]] Bandujeewa Bopitigoda.<ref name=AT160706/><ref>{{cite news|last=Jayasiri |first=Sunil |title=NCPA officer re-remanded by LTTE |url=http://archives.dailymirror.lk/2006/07/18/front/04.asp |newspaper=[[The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)]] |date=18 July 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130403120642/http://archives.dailymirror.lk/2006/07/18/front/04.asp |archive-date=2013-04-03 }}</ref> Bopitigoda was released on 26 August 2006.<ref>{{cite news|last=Singh|first=Anurangi|title=Bopitigoda freed after ten months|url=http://www.nation.lk/2006/08/27/news13.htm|newspaper=[[The Nation (Sri Lanka)]]|date=27 August 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Gamage|first=Saman|title=LTTE releases policeman|url=http://www.island.lk/2006/08/27/news15.html|newspaper=[[Sunday Island (Sri Lanka)]]|date=27 August 2006}}</ref>

Daya Master and his colleague George Master surrendered to the Sri Lankan military at Puthumatalan in 20 April 2009, just days before the [[Sri Lankan Civil War|civil war]] ended with the defeat of the LTTE.<ref>{{cite news|title=Two key Tamil Tigers 'surrender'|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8012016.stm|newspaper=[[BBC News]]|date=22 April 2009}}</ref> The two men were arrested and taken to Colombo.<ref name=FL031112/> They were taken to the 4th floor of the [[Criminal Investigation Department (Sri Lanka)|Criminal Investigation Department]] headquarters in Colombo to be [[interrogated]].<ref name=FL031112/> The CID's 4th floor is notorious for alleged torture, rape and other human rights abuses.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sri Lanka: Rape of Tamil Detainees|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2013/02/26/sri-lanka-rape-tamil-detainees|publisher=[[Human Rights Watch]]|date=26 February 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Sri Lanka's new chapter|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/8064078.stm|newspaper=[[BBC News]]|date=23 May 2009}}</ref> After being "rehabilitated" the two men were sent to jail.<ref name=FL031112/>

Days after defecting, Daya Master claimed that the LTTE had shot dead two hundred civilians trying to flee the fighting.<ref>{{cite news|title=Defector says LTTE killed civilians|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sinhala/news/story/2009/04/090429_daya_master.shtml|newspaper=[[BBC]] Sinhala|date=29 April 2009}}</ref> After the end of the war in May 2009 Daya Master and [[Karuna Amman]] were flown to Puthumatalan by the Sri Lankan military to identify the body of LTTE leader [[V. Prabhakaran]].<ref name=FL031112/><ref>{{cite news|title=Karuna, daya master identify LTTE chief’s body|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/karuna-daya-master-identify-ltte-chief-s-body/463146/|newspaper=[[The Indian Express]]/[[Press Trust of India]]|date=21 May 2009}}</ref>

Daya Master and George Master were detained under the [[Prevention of Terrorism Act (Sri Lanka)|Prevention of Terrorism Act]] (PTA) but were not [[Criminal charge|charged]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Bail for LTTE spokesman|url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/090913/News/nws_16.html|newspaper=[[The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)]]|date=13 September 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Ethirajan|first=Anbarasan|title=Two key Tamil Tigers given bail|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8251587.stm|newspaper=[[BBC News]]|date=11 September 2009}}</ref> They were released on [[bail]] by Colombo Chief Magistrate Nishantha Hapuarachchi in September 2009 after the CID claimed that there wasn't any evidence to prosecute the two men under the PTA.<ref>{{cite news|title=Daya Master & George Master of LTTE to be tried under normal law |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/cms/article10.php?id=3896 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130703024203/http://www.sundaytimes.lk/cms/article10.php?id=3896 |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 July 2013 |newspaper=[[The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)]] |date=11 September 2009 }}</ref> One of the bail conditions was that they both had to report to CID headquarters in Colombo once a month but this condition was relaxed in February 2010 after which they only had to report to the CID office in [[Jaffna]].<ref>{{cite news|title='Remove seals' on Lanka newspaper|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sinhala/news/story/2010/02/100201_lanka_daya.shtml|newspaper=[[BBC]] Sinhala|date=1 February 2010}}</ref>

==Later life==
Daya Master then started working on the news desk for Dish Asia Network (DAN TV), a somewhat pro-government broadcaster based in northern Sri Lanka owned and operated by one-time Minister of the [[Mahinda Rajapaksa]] Cabinet- [[Douglas Devananda]].<ref name=FL031112/><ref>{{cite news|title=Daya Master talks of new life|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sinhala/news/story/2010/09/100915_dayamaster.shtml|newspaper=[[BBC]] Sinhala|date=15 September 2010}}</ref>

In April 2013 Daya Master announced that he would contest the upcoming elections to [[Northern Provincial Council]] as a candidate for the governing [[United People's Freedom Alliance]] (UPFA).<ref>{{cite news|last=Mathan|first=A. P.|title=Daya Master to contest on UPFA ticket|url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/news/28492-daya-master-to-contest-on-upfa-ticket.html|newspaper=[[The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)]]|date=24 April 2013}}</ref> It was reported that the UPFA was considering Daya Master to be its [[Chief Minister of Sri Lanka|chief ministerial]] candidate.<ref>{{cite news|last=Peiris|first=Harim|title=TNA vs LTTE – The Northern Provincial Council stakes|url=http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=78048|newspaper=[[The Island (Sri Lanka)]]|date=1 May 2013}}</ref>

==Further reading==
*{{Cite news|title=Who is Daya Master?|url=https://www.timesofindia.com/world/south-asia/who-is-daya-master/articleshow/4436186.cms|date=April 22, 2009|via=[[Press Trust of India|PTI]]|newspaper=[[Times of India]]}}
*{{Cite news|title=Daya Master, George were arrested, not surrendered: LTTE|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/world/daya-master-george-were-arrested-not-surrendered-ltte/story-m2f2MCAfrPU4FAOUwuAYaP.html|date=April 23, 2009|via=[[Press Trust of India|PTI]]|newspaper=[[Hindustan Times]]}}
*{{Cite magazine|title=LTTE kept hostages in No-Fire zone: Daya Master|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/headlines-today-top-stories/story/ltte-kept-hostages-in-no-fire-zone-daya-master-45994-2009-04-29|date=April 29, 2009|author=|magazine=[[India Today]]}}
*{{Cite news|title=Tamil Nadu leaders playing “own politics” with Tamils’ issue, says Daya Master|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/tamil-nadu-leaders-playing-own-politics-with-tamils-issue-says-daya-master/article4028515.ece|date=24 October 2012|author1=Nirupama Subramanian|author2=R. K. Radhakrishnan|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Daya Master}}
[[Category:1956 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam members]]
[[Category:People from Northern Province, Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan Tamil rebels]]
[[Category:Indian Peace Keeping Force]]

Daya Master - Revision history

Bot: robot: Create/update articles. If there is a mistake please report on my talk page.