Nagarkovil massacre victims remembered

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 September 2005, 20:58 GMT]
The tenth anniversary of the Nagarkovil massacre was held Thursday at third milepost in Point Pedro where the displaced Nagarkovil Maha Vidiyalayam is currently functioning. Twenty six students were killed and 40 students were injured when Sri Lanka Air Force's (SLAF's) two Pucaro fighter planes on 22 September 1995 around 12.30 p.m. bombed the school while the school was in session.

Rev Fr Devanesan addressing the students and parents recalled the day of the massacre and prayed for the victims.

"The attack was a crime against mankind. Politicians and members of the civil society in the South who are now ardent proponents of human rights remained silent without bringing this atrocity to the notice of the international community when the incident happened," he said.

The names and ages of the 26 students killed in the SLAF aerial attack are: Tharmalingam Usanthini (13), Markandu Nagalogini (10), Thamotharam Sakunthala (12), R. Regina (11), Pologarajah Thushanthini (14), Ravindran Amirtha (10), Balachandran Rajitha (10), Navaratnasamy Umathevy (12), Suntharalingam Palani (15), Suntharalingam Tharsini (14), Kugasaravanamalai Tharsini (13), Rajeev Gandhi Venu (11), Krishnagopal Thavaseelan (13), Rajaratnam Kavitha (10), Nagamutthu Senthilvel (15), Alfonse Amalaviji(14), Mahalingam Sanmugavadivelan(16), R. Sumithra(10), K. Methini(14), Navamany Mithura(14), Sellam(15),Ragavan(16),T hangarasa Vasanthakumar(06), Mylvaganam Gananathan(14), Ranjithkumar Rajitha(11).