On November 27, Tamil nationalist politician M.K. Sivajilingam led a commemorative event in Jaffna to mark the birthday of the late LTTE leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran. The ceremony took place on a plot of land in Valvettithurai, Jaffna, where Prabhakaran’s ancestral home once stood before it was demolished by security forces. Supporters of the slain LTTE leader gathered at the site for a modest cake-cutting ceremony to honor his legacy, despite heavy rains that had impacted Mahaviru Day (Maveerar Naal) celebrations across the North.
A banner displayed at the event depicted a portrait of Prabhakaran with the inscription, “His Excellency V. Prabhakaran, the national leader of Tamil Eelam, lived in this house.” In line with the government’s stance, which prohibits the commemoration of individuals associated with terrorism, the police swiftly intervened by covering the picture of Prabhakaran with tape. However, the police did not stop the ceremony itself from taking place, and the event continued without significant disruption.
Following the cake-cutting, attendees were handed saplings, a gesture of remembrance and peace. While the government allows Tamils to mourn and remember those lost in the civil conflict, it has firmly stated that public celebrations of individuals associated with the LTTE, which is classified as a terrorist organization, will not be tolerated. This stance was reiterated by the authorities, emphasizing that while personal grief is permissible, glorifying terrorism is not.
The commemoration sparked tensions, as the government’s position on LTTE-related remembrance remains a sensitive and divisive issue, particularly in the North, where many Tamils still feel the effects of the long-running civil war.
