Tamil Nadu Liberation Army (TNLA) is a small militant separatist movement in India. It seeks an independent nation for the Tamil people, and first appeared in the 1980s, when the Indian Peacekeeping Force (IPKF) was sent to Sri Lanka. It had its roots in the Naxalite movement, and was headed by Thamizharasan, an engineering student from Ponparappi village.[1] TNLA was involved in minor bomb blasts, murders and looting banks. On September 1, 1987, the people of Ponparappi village lynched Thamizharasan and four of his associates, when they attempted to rob a bank.[1] After his death, the group is believed to have splintered into factions. TNLA was banned by the Tamil Nadu State Government[2], and also by the Union Government on the recommendation of the State Government. It has been declared a terrorist organization by the government of India.[3]