NE observes 15th death anniversary of Pulendran and Kumarappa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 October 2002, 20:42 GMT]
The fifteen-death anniversary of senior commanders of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Lt. Colonel Pulendran and Lt. Colonel Kumarappa and ten other cadres was observed at several places in the northeast province Saturday. Remembrance meeting was held at the mausoleum at Theeruvil, Valvettithurai in Jaffna district where their bodies were buried and at LTTE political office in Trincomalee town.

During the first week of October, 1987 they were taken into custody by the Sri Lanka Navy in midsea when they were on their way to Trincomalee from Jaffna in a boat.

LTTE Tampalakamam political head Thangan garlading Lt.Col. Kumarappa Photograph.

They were then brought to main Sri Lanka Army base at Palaly in the north two months after the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) arrived in the northeast under the Indo-Sri Lanka pact. When the SLA attempted to remove them to Colombo for interrogation, commanders Pulendran and Kumarappa took cyanide and committed suicide along with ten other cadres- Major Abdullah, Captains Karan, Ragu, and Mires, Lts Thavakumar, Palani, Anbalagan, second Lt. Anandakumar, Lt.Reginald, Captain Nalan while in the custody at Palaly SLA main base on 05.10.1987 around 5.05 p.m.

At Theeruvil mausoleum, Saturday afternoon Jaffna district LTTE political head Mr.Ilamparuthi lit the flame of sacrifice. Sea Tiger Barathi hoisted the Tamil Eelam national flag. The mausoleum erected in memory of twelve LTTE leaders was damaged due to the SLA military operation in 1966. Still it has not been repaired, sources said.

In Trincomalee, the fifteenth death anniversary of LTTE senior Commanders Pulendran, Kumarappa and other ten cadres was observed at the Trincomalee political office of the LTTE. Mr.Uthayapalan, Trincomalee LTTE office activist hoisted the Tamil Eelam national flag and Mr. Kanagasabai Thevakadachcham lighted the flame of sacrifice.