Great Heroes' Day celebrations in Vanni

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 November 1998, 18:02 GMT]
Velupillai Prabakaran leader of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam saluted the slain heroes of the movement in the Vanni ceremony marking the Maaveerar's Day, the VoT said.

The radio said that he lighted the traditional oil lamp at 6.07 pm. the Vanni time today after the salutation at 6.06pm. (The time in the Vanni region is half an hour late from the time of the army controlled area of the country).

The field commanders and area leaders of the LTTE followed their leader Prabakaran and lighted the oil lamp in respect to their 13,233 slain heroes today, said sources in Vanni.

The traditional functions of the Maveerar of the LTTE were observed widely in Maveerar Thuyilum Illam (Cemeteries where the dead LTTE cadres were cremated and considered to be the holy place), camps of the LTTE, institutions, government and private sections, public places and houses all over the Vanni, the radio said.

The oil lamp was lighted at the same time widely by the field commanders and area leaders.

Special Commander of the Sea Tigers Soosai lighted the lamp at Mulliyawalai

Assistant Commander of the Sea Tigers Vaani at Alampil
Commander Col. Karunaa at Visvamadu
Commander Col.Theepan at Kanagapuram in Kilinochchi district
Commander Lt.Col.Vithusha at Thunukkai in Mankulam area
Commander(jsgjp) Veeman at Vannivilaankulam in Vavunikulam area
David at Poonagary in Mulankaavil area
Political wing Leader Karikaalan at Aandaankulam in Mannar district
Suthaakar at Pandivirichchaan

The Voice of Tiger said that the anti aircraft wing unit of the LTTE was deployed all over Vanni to give protection from the assumed attacks of the SLAF during the Maaveerar Celebrations to the tiger cadres and the public who witnessed the ceremony.

The radio added that the Air Tigers sprayed flowers from two air crafts of the LTTE flying low in the Vanni region over the Maveerar cemeteries and a large number of people witnessed the scene happily.

Sources said that this is the first time that LTTE has celebrated its Maaveerar's Day celebrations in a colourful way after withdrawing from Jaffna peninsula in 1995.