WTHS 4+

Maveerar Naal is a Tamil National Memory Day. Every year, The 27th of November is an emotional time for Eelam Tamils and the supporters of Eelam Tamil's struggle for sovereignty from Sri Lanka. On this day, worldwide, Tamils commemorate the sacrifices of Eelam Tamil warriors, freedom fighters men, women, and children who laid down their lives and became martyr heroes Mareevar. A renowned accountant by profession author Nimal Vinayagamoorthy, who is a member of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) since its inception and seeks a peaceful political solution to the Tamil Right to Self Determination shares his feelings on the eve of the Martyrs Day.

THE FIRST MAVEERAR NAAL CEREMONY WAS HELD ON 27 NOVEMBER 1989, honouring thousands of Eelam soldiers who died fighting in the Eelam-Sri Lanka war. The date coincides with the martyrdom of Tamil Eelam hero Lt. Shankar Sathiyanathan, in 1982. This day is commemorated all over the world except in Sri Lanka as there the Eelam Tamils are not allowed by the government of Sri Lanka to reminisce their dead ones.

Left with no democratic option to win their civil and political, economic, social, and cultural rights, the Eelam Tamil fighters formed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to wage an armed struggle against the brutalities of successive Sinhala regimes in Sri Lanka. While the war has ended, the trauma and pain of the affected families and those who fled by choice or by circumstance continues. The massive tragedy continues to haunt the Eelam Tamil supporters.

In this struggle, thousands of young Tamil women and men laid down their lives to escape the clutches of the oppressive Sinhala regimes and re-establish the lost homeland of the Tamils. The Maveerar Naal is a holy day for Eelam Tamils worldwide. Since 2009, even Tamils in India have been commemorating this very special day.

Tamils have a very emotional and spiritual attachment to this day. It is observing a collective memory. It is a day to collectively vent out the emotions of the community. Families in the north and east all had at least someone sacrifice their sacred lives for the freedom of Eelam Tamils.

Candle for Martyrs
This day helps promote the Tamil community’s social recovery from the violent conflict and brings to light the injustices and discrimination the Maaveerar and us as a population has been through. It is a public day and is observed at a public place to grieve someone very dear.

Memorialization is extremely important in order to keep memories alive, to mark the highest sacrifices made by our women and men, and to refresh and recommit ourselves to continue the struggle for transitional justice and accountability which is being constantly undermined by national and international bodies.

Memorialization upsets those who perpetrated war crimes and genocide. It is well-nigh impossible for Eelam Tamils in Sri Lanka to be part of the public memorialization processes and functions.