Also known as Comrade Bala, Aravindan was a Marxist Maoist sect leader who has incarcerated 3 women - 30-year-old Briton, a 57-year-old Irishwoman and a 69-year-old Malaysian - over a span of time between January 1980 and October 2013.
The case made headlines when Comrade Bala and his wife were arrested in November last year, after one of the women rang a charity claiming she had been held against her will, sparking a police inquiry.
But who was Comrade Bala? Why was his citizenship revoked?
He is reported to be a Marxist Communist and had been leading a Maoist "cult". His Singapore citizenship - which was registered in 1960 - was revoked in 1977. By then, he was already living in London.
Singapore's Home Affairs Ministry had accused him of engaging in "activities which are prejudicial to the security" of the country, after he was named a radical "closely associated with Eurocommunists".
In particular, Comrade Bala was an associate of G Raman, a former ISA detainee and a key accused of the Eurocommunist wave of arrests in the 1970s.
G Raman was detained on 10 Feb 77 under the ISA. The government alleged that he had plotted with a group of communists based in Europe to exert pressure through the Socialist International, on the Singapore government, to release hardcore communists detainees, who were still trying to overthrow the governments of Singapore and Malaysia. G Raman had also instigated local groups including and workers to resort to agitation as part of the plan to pressure the government to release the detainees.
However, the web of the Marxist network does not end here. Those who remembered will know that G Raman was supposed to be the lawyer of Tan Wah Piow when Tan was charged for rioting. In the end, G Raman did not represent Tan as Tan defended himself.
Tan Wah Piow later escaped NS saying that something untoward might happen to him and subsequently forged his passport to enter the UK where he remains till today.
The web thickens as we later know that Malcolm Caldwell was the person that helped Tan Wah Piow obtained his permanent stay in Britain. Caldwell got Tan a place at Bradford University. Tan will later graduate from Oxford University.
Caldwell was a well-known academic and he headed the School of Oriental and African Studies at the London University. In 1978, few years after he had helped Tan, Caldwell was mysteriously killed in Cambodia when he was there on the invitation of Communist Khmer Rouge.
Later, in 1987, Tan Wah Piow would be named as the mastermind of the Marxist Conspiracy and one of those arrested during that operation was Teo Soh Lung. Shortly after G Raman was dismissed by Tan, Teo Soh Lung joined G Raman as a junior lawyer; adding more complexity to this Marxist network.
He is reported to be a Marxist Communist and had been leading a Maoist "cult". His Singapore citizenship - which was registered in 1960 - was revoked in 1977. By then, he was already living in London.
Singapore's Home Affairs Ministry had accused him of engaging in "activities which are prejudicial to the security" of the country, after he was named a radical "closely associated with Eurocommunists".
In particular, Comrade Bala was an associate of G Raman, a former ISA detainee and a key accused of the Eurocommunist wave of arrests in the 1970s.
G Raman was detained on 10 Feb 77 under the ISA. The government alleged that he had plotted with a group of communists based in Europe to exert pressure through the Socialist International, on the Singapore government, to release hardcore communists detainees, who were still trying to overthrow the governments of Singapore and Malaysia. G Raman had also instigated local groups including and workers to resort to agitation as part of the plan to pressure the government to release the detainees.
In a letter dated 24 Dec 73, G Raman supposedly wrote to Ara or Comrade Bala, enclosing therewith Dr Poh Soo Kai's statement and asking Ara to give it maximum publicity. Comrade Bala was already based in London then.
However, G Raman's most frequent contact was actually a British Marxist by the name of Malcolm Caldwell. Records showed that G Raman kept in constant contact with Caldwell; G Raman informed Caldwell of the latest political happenings in Singapore, while Caldwell conducted publicity efforts in Europe against PAP rule and the ISA.
However, G Raman's most frequent contact was actually a British Marxist by the name of Malcolm Caldwell. Records showed that G Raman kept in constant contact with Caldwell; G Raman informed Caldwell of the latest political happenings in Singapore, while Caldwell conducted publicity efforts in Europe against PAP rule and the ISA.
However, the web of the Marxist network does not end here. Those who remembered will know that G Raman was supposed to be the lawyer of Tan Wah Piow when Tan was charged for rioting. In the end, G Raman did not represent Tan as Tan defended himself.
Tan Wah Piow later escaped NS saying that something untoward might happen to him and subsequently forged his passport to enter the UK where he remains till today.
The web thickens as we later know that Malcolm Caldwell was the person that helped Tan Wah Piow obtained his permanent stay in Britain. Caldwell got Tan a place at Bradford University. Tan will later graduate from Oxford University.
Caldwell was a well-known academic and he headed the School of Oriental and African Studies at the London University. In 1978, few years after he had helped Tan, Caldwell was mysteriously killed in Cambodia when he was there on the invitation of Communist Khmer Rouge.
Later, in 1987, Tan Wah Piow would be named as the mastermind of the Marxist Conspiracy and one of those arrested during that operation was Teo Soh Lung. Shortly after G Raman was dismissed by Tan, Teo Soh Lung joined G Raman as a junior lawyer; adding more complexity to this Marxist network.
Is G Raman still in Singapore? He seems to be the one holding all the cards.
ReplyDeleteThe so called contents of the letter simply shows Raman informing Caldwell of the happenings here. It shows no evidence of communist activities or any subversive or destructive intent. The best way is to release all the letters and all communication and archive records for people to make informed decision. Simple as ABC
ReplyDeleteNo need to release the records lah! I will never trust the PAP! Vote PAP out!
DeleteThat's what the communists are good at doing. Writing letters and using their communist terminology. Organising strikes, sit-ins, protests. When people challenge them, they would deny being communists, and insists they are social activists. They refuse to run for parliament to take on the roles of responsibility and governance.
ReplyDeleteOld man LKY was smart to use them as political pawns. His son now not so great. If Singapore was run by these people, we would still be driving Cadillac and Fords like Cuba today.