Tamil Nadu CM Joseph Vijay pays tribute to LTTE chief Prabhakaran

(LTTE stands for ‘Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam’.)

Chennai – Joseph Vijay paid tribute to LTTE chief V. Prabhakaran on his death anniversary observed on 18th May. Prabhakaran was the chief of the banned LTTE organisation and was accused in the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, as well as the killing of Indian soldiers. In 2009, Prabhakaran was killed by the Sri Lankan Army during the final phase of the conflict in Mullivaikkal, Sri Lanka. Interestingly, the LTTE remains a banned organisation in India. The Congress party, led earlier by Rajiv Gandhi, is currently supporting Joseph Vijay’s government with five MLAs. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also attended Vijay’s swearing-in ceremony last week.

Joseph Vijay posted a tribute message on X for Prabhakaran. In the post, he wrote that the memories of Mullivaikkal would always remain alive in their hearts and that they would continue to stand with Tamils living across the sea in support of their rights.

What is ‘Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day’?

In 1991, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in an attack carried out by the LTTE, and Prabhakaran was considered the main accused in the case. Tamils across the world, as well as many Tamils living in India, observe 18 May as ‘Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day’ or ‘Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day’. Sri Lanka’s civil war ended in 2009. The Remembrance Day commemorates thousands of Tamil civilians who lost their lives during the final stages of the war. Mullivaikkal, a coastal village in Sri Lanka, witnessed the final military offensive by the Sri Lankan Army. According to United Nations estimates, between 40,000 and 70,000 Tamil civilians died during the concluding phase of the conflict. Sri Lankan forces had inflicted large-scale atrocities against civilians. Hence, many Tamils observe this day in remembrance of those who died during the conflict.