Death of the First Hero –
T. Sabaratnam 25 February, 2004 GMT
Rajani, who was on the verandah of the main house, saw the army jeep entering their compound. She ran through the house to the back door and shouted, “Nirmala Akka, army jeep is coming.”
She warned her elder sister because she knew an LTTE fighter, Shankar, was in her house. Shankar had gone to Nirmala’s house to convey the message Seelan had sent from Tamil Nadu that he had reached India safely. Seelan had also informed Shankar to convey his thanks to Nirmala, her husband Nithiyananthan and Rajani for treating and caring for him for nearly two weeks after he was injured.
Nirmala insisted that Shankar should have lunch. “Today I have cooked chicken. You must taste it and say whether it is tastier than your leader’s (Pirapaharan’s) preparation,” she said. Seelan had told her repeatedly that Pirapaharan’s chicken curry was “tops.” Nirmala served two pieces of chicken and Shankar was biting the first piece when Rajani shouted about the arrival of the army jeep.
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First Maveerar Nal
TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 November 2003, 03:51 GMT
Pirapaharan waited for seven years to proclaim the day Shankar died as Maveerar Nal (Hero’s Day). Pushed into the Vanni woods and surrounded by the Indian army, Pirapaharan needed more cadres and required a mode to motivate those who had stuck to him braving immense hardships and personal danger. Pirapaharan, well versed in classical Tamil literature and traditions, resurrected the well-treasured custom of honouring heroes fallen in battle and paying homage to them by erecting tombstones, the custom known as nadugal valipadu-nadugal means tombstone and valipadu worship or paying homage. Pirapaharan revived this tradition, well cherished in Tamil Sangam literature, as one of his motivation strategies.
The revival of nadugal valipadu has had the intended effect. It has transformed the attitude of the wives, children, parents and relatives of the fallen cadres from the feeling of deprivation and wailing to that of participation and pride..
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