Amidst a downpour in Kilinochchi, thousands of Tamils gathered at the Kanagapuram Thuyilum Illam, to pay tribute to the fallen fighters of the Tamil liberation struggle on Maaveerar Naal – Great Heroes’ Day.
Armed with a sea of umbrellas and jackets, as many as 10,000 people came to the site of the LTTE cemetery, which was once destroyed by the Sri Lankan army.
In recent years, locals have painstaking gathered together the rubble from smashed tombstones and helped clear the grounds in the run up to the date.
As activists and political leaders joined the masses who gathered, announcements were made in Tamil to mark the beginning of commemorations.
“Now in every temple and church in the homeland that is Tamil Eelam, bells will ring,” said the announcement.
“Let us now light the common flame in memory of all the heroes who bravely stood up and embraced the sacrifice of their lives, under the leadership of the National Leader of Tamil Eelam, Hon. Velupillai Prabhakaran, to restore our homeland Tamil Eelam from the oppressors and to restore the lost sovereignty and dignity of the nation.”
The main flame was lit by the brother of LTTE political leader S. P. Thamilselvan, S. P. Moorthy.
See more pictures from today's commemoration at Kanagapuram below.
