2nd Lead (Adds details)

Annai Poopathy anniversary celebrated in NorthEast

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 March 2004, 13:41 GMT]
Sixteenth year anniversary of Annai Poopathy memorial day was celebrated across the Northeast with special events being organized in Navalady, Batticaloa, sources said. Joseph Pararajasingham, Senior Vice President of the Tamil United Liberation Front, and other Tamil National Alliance candidates participated in the Batticaloa event, according to sources. Voice of Tigers (VoT) in its evening broadcast reported that major celebrations took place in Udayarkattu, Moonkilattu heroes cemetary for Batticaloa-Amparai war heroes.

Batticaloa-Amparai Communications Head, Aingaran, presided the celebration at the Moonkiladi Heroes cemetary, VoT said.

Head of Political Section of the Jeyanthan Brigade, Sivakumar, lit the Flame of sacrifice and Administrative Head of Jeyanthan Brigade, Elunilavan, hoisted the Tamil Eelam flag. Saraswathy, a maaveer's mother, paid floral tribute to the framed picture of 'annai' Poopathy.

Fighters from Jeyanthan Brigade, Rasu and Varman spoke in the event attended by several LTTE fighters and residents of Udayarkattu, VoT further said.

Determined to protest to the world the injustices that were being meted out to the Tamils by the Indian Peace Keep Forces (IPKF) and to urge the Government of India to call for

• An immediate unconditional ceasefire between the LTTE and the IPKF
• Unconditional talks between the LTTE and the Indian government,

she commenced her fast unto death on 19th March, 1988 at Mahmangam Pillayar temple. She went without any food for thirty days before her death on 19th April, 1988.

Poopathy Kanapathipillai was born in a small ancient Tamil village of Kiran in Batticaloa, as the third daughter to Mr. Annamuthu and his wife Periyapillai. Because of her family's economic situation she was withdrawn from her school and was married at a tender age of only twelve. Twice a mother and widowed all within a short span of life. Poopathy married again to Mr. Kanapathipillai, a widower with two sons and a daughter. Two more sons and two more daughters resulted from this marriage and Poopathy became the mother of ten children.

"Annai Poopathy has made an indelible mark in the golden history of our struggle. She sacrificed her life for the freedom struggle of her people renouncing her life as a mother, as head of a household and as a woman. Her moral war against the Indian army was an embarrasment India. She did not die as a human being. Her sacrifice symbolized the uprising of Tamil eelam motherhood," said Pirapaharan, in a release about her death.