Shenali D Waduge

With Tamil populace rejected separatism & the politicians that advocated separatism while LTTE overseas fronts are sending letters continuing the same separatist/racist demands, it is interesting to see the action that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake would take given that LTTE remains banned not only in Sri Lanka but across the world as well. The focus of attention to President Anura Kumara is to see if he will continue the usual politically correct” line or he will choose to side with the majority of people who are against terrorism & the commemoration of terrorists. Maaveerar Naal week starts on 20^th November & ends on 27^th November to commemorate Prabakaran’s friend Shankar who died on 27 Nov 1982 while Prabakarans birthday was on 26^thNovember.

Let us once more put the facts out.

Mahaveerar Naal is an annual LTTE event started in 1989, mourning ONLY DEAD LTTE.

The dead of other Tamil militant groups are NOT MOURNED & their families are NOT ALLOW to mourn their dead openly either. This has been the case since 1989 & continues even after 2009.

Those who attend these commemorations are ONLY LTTE FAMILIES & LTTE SUPPORTERS. LTTE families are MAAVEERAR KUDUMBANGAL.

Post 2009 LTTE fronts continues these commemorations BUT EXCLUDES commemorating any of the other Tamil Militant Dead. Other Tamil Militant Dead are NOT HEROES in the eyes of these LTTE fronts & LTTE supporters.

Thus the dead of EROS, PLOTE, EPRLF etc are NOT HEROES & they are NOT COMMEMORATED & their FAMILIES ARE NOT ALLOWED to COMMEMORATE their dead OPENLY.

If there have been commemorations of other Tamil militant dead before 2009 or after 2009, please correct the author with evidence.

Maaveerar Naal Week starts on 20^th November & ends on 27^th November, the day Sathiyanathan (Shankar) died.

He was married to LTTE Sea Tiger leader Soosai’s sister.

The 1^st Mahaveerar Naal was held on 27 November 1989 in the jungles of Mullaitivu (7 years after Shankars death)

The week-long commemorations started from 1991 & called the Great Heroes Week with Prabakaran’s birthday also commemorated on 26^th November. They continue to be held overseas with pomp & pageantry.

Those who try to present Mahaveerar Naal as an event commemorating dead Tamils, may like to explain why these events

• Only hoist Tamil Eelam flag
• Only LTTE decorations (Red & Yellow)
• Only LTTE insignia
• Only LTTE flower Senkaanthal flower/ Kaarthigai Poo/Gloriosa Lily (flower of Tamil Eelam) is used since 2003 when it was declared LTTE official flower by Prabakaran.
• Light the Flame of sacrifice
• Prior to 2009 homage is paid to dead LTTE with their names on tombs engraved with Maaveerar Thuyilum Illangai” (abode where great heroes sleep)
• Only Maaveerar Kudumbangal (LTTE families) gather to mourn their dead sons & daughters
• Only Prabakaran makes his great speech on his birthday which always starts at 0605p.m. the time Shankar died (police statement)
• Only LTTE’s Voice of Tiger radio broadcasts it worldwide
• Only LTTE TV Nitharsanam telecasts if worldwide
• Only photo of Shankar is garlanded by Prabakaran & lamps are placed for others. Ironically even ignorant foreign MPs are participating in these foreign events & also lighting lamps for terrorist dead!

Now that we have clearly established what Mahaveerar Naal is all about, we await the reaction of the new government.

If the NPP Govt allows these commemorations in Sri Lanka it would be a slap to all NON-LTTE (Tamils, Sinhalese, Muslims)

If the NPP Govt allows only LTTE dead to be mourned, it would mean the new Govt is taking the side of TERRORISTS and their TERRORIST SUPPORTERS (living in Sri Lanka & overseas)

If the NPP Govt allows commemorations of ONLY LTTE Terrorists, it means they are siding with Terrorists that killed Tamils, killed Sinhalese, killed Muslims & even killed foreigners

Why should the new NPP Govt allow ONLY LTTE TERRORISTS to MOURN THEIR DEAD?

If foreign governments with all their intel agencies in place cannot differentiate commemorations of terrorists & civilians & are unable to conclude from all evidence that Mahaveer Naal is a LTTE terrorist commemoration event happening annually since 1989, it goes to highlight whose side they are on.

However, this same mistake cannot be made by Sri Lanka & the NPP government cannot make the same mistakes by allowing commemorations of LTTE dead starting 20^th November & ending on 27^th November with 26^th November also commemorated as Prabakarans birthday. When the NPP had no official commemoration for their own party founder’s death anniversary which fell on 13^th November (killed on 13 November 1989) it would be an embarrassment to allow LTTE to mourn their day over a week!

If LTTE is allowed to commemorate terrorist dead (Mahaveerar Naal), then there must be another commemoration to mourn Tamils killed by LTTE.

Why should only LTTE be given exclusivity or exceptionalism among Tamils when LTTE’s Tamil Eelam was only for LTTE Tamils & not ALL TAMILS?

If Maaveerar Naal hails LTTE dead – What do we call event to commemorate Tamils killed by LTTE?

“Commemorating Maaveerar Naal is Tamil people’s right – Wigneswaran” – then who is going to commemorate Tamils killed by LTTE

Mahaveerar Naal (Great Heroes Day) / ‘Maaveerar Vaaram’ (Great Heroes Week)– Is it a LTTE event?

Shenali D Waduge