First Heroes' Day Celebrations in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 November 2002, 19:00 GMT]
The 'Maaveerar Naal' (Heroes Day) celebrations to occur for the first time in the eastern port town of Trincomalee will commence Monday 25, November morning at the Cultural Hall venue, with the hoisting of Tamil Eelam national flag and the lighting the flame of sacrifice remembering the LTTE martyrs, sources said.

One thousand four hundred seventy nine LTTE cadres have sacrificed their lives from Trincomalee district in the twenty-year-old Tamil liberation struggle. Of them 159 were women cadres. Sixteen Black Tigers have also sacrificed their lives in the struggle. Of them four were land Black Tigers, and fourteen were Sea Black Tigers. Of the Sea Black Tigers four were female cadres. Photographs of 1479 Maaveerar will be displayed in the Cultural hall from Monday till Wednesday, sources said.

President of the Trincomalee District Chamber of Commerce Mr.K.Thurairasa, receiving the first copy of the war memorial songs, ‘Kallarai Thaluvum Kanangal’ from the Head of the Political Wing, Trinco, Mr.S.Thilak.

Lt.Colonel Seelan, the first Trincomalee youth who died fighting, sustained serious injuries in an attack against the Sri Lanaka Army soldiers at Meesalai in Jaffna district, fifteen years ago. Seelan who was the LTTE's North East Attack Commander, realizing that he was endangering his fellow cadres lives as they tried to carry him to safety had asked one of the fellow cadres to shoot him. When he refused Lt Seelan ordered the cadre to shoot him. His order was promptly carried out, making Seelan first ' Maaveerar' from Trincomalee .

The first LTTE cadre who died in a battle with the State armed forces in his own soil Trincomalee was Lt Iynkaran. Lt. Colonel Pulendran died while leading an attack on an army detachment in Padavi Siripura area, north of Trincomalee on 18 December 1984.

On November 27 evening Trincomalee district area commander Colonel Pathuman will light the flame of sacrifice at War Memorial at Alankulam (Maaveerar Thuyilum Illam). LTTE local leaders will light flame of sacrifice at Maaveerar Thuyilum Illam in Iththikulam, Verugal, Upparu, Palampattaru and Kumburupiddy in the Trincomalee district, sources confirmed.