Karaveddi civilians pay homage to slain MP Sivanesan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 March 2008, 00:25 GMT]
Amidst tension in the village of Keava'lai in Karaveddi East due to heavy presence of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers, thousands of civilians paid homage Friday to the slain Jaffna District Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian K.Sivanesan assassinated Thursday in a claymore mine attack allegedly carried out by a Deep Penetration Unit of the Sri Lanka Army, south of Maangku'lam on A-9 Road in Vanni. The body of the slain parliamentarian was taken to his home town in Karaveddi East to enable the public to pay their last respects.

Late parliamentarian Kiddinan Sivanesan, hailing from Karaveddi East, composed of the villages of Yaakkaru, Ki'lavithoaddam, Keava'la and Kavunthi, was the first person from the area to obtain government employment.

He toiled hard for the upliftment of his community and took keen interest in development of the schools in Vadamaraadchi area and also was the driving force behind the development of the infrastructure required for the improvement of the people dependent on resources of Palmyrah palm. He established Palmyrah Development Societies and Coconut Development societies in various parts of the peninsula.

A large number of representatives from these local societies remembered the invaluable services of the late parliamentarian.

A farmer and a long time resident of the area, Sinnathamby, 67, and Arivan, 34, were among the mourners. Arivan, expressed his inability to visit the residence of parents of the parliamentarian to express condolences due the prevailing atmosphere of fear since Sivanesan’s residence in Keava'lai was being used by SLA camp for the past 12 years.

Meanwhile, many civil groups in the peninsula have expressed their condolences via local media communiqués and pamphlets.

On Friday Velupillai Pirapaharan, the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), conferred Maamanithar (Great human being) title, the highest national civilian honour by the LTTE, posthumously to K. Sivanesan.

K. Sivanesan, born on 21 January, 1957, was General Manager of Northern Region Palm Development Co-op society's Uni-Cluster, between 1996 and 2004, before being elected to Sri Lanka Parliament. He worked as an accountant of the palm development co-operative society's union of Jaffna and a secretary of Federation of popular association in Mallaavi, Vanni. He was a former student of Nelliyadi Maththiya Mahaa Viththiyaalayam.

The funeral of the late parliamentarian is scheduled to be held Sunday in Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) - controlled Ki'linochchi. A large number of red and yellow flags have been hung all over Vanni as a mark of expression of the grieving public.

Mr. Sivanesan leaves behind his wife and four children, 2 sons and 2 daughters.

Chronology: