{"id":153263,"date":"2025-11-24T16:53:13","date_gmt":"2025-11-24T23:53:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=153263"},"modified":"2025-11-24T16:53:13","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T23:53:13","slug":"maaveerar-naal-ltte-commemoration-and-the-politics-of-selective-memory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2025\/11\/24\/maaveerar-naal-ltte-commemoration-and-the-politics-of-selective-memory\/","title":{"rendered":"Maaveerar Naal, LTTE Commemoration, and the Politics of Selective Memory"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em><strong>Shenali D Waduge<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shenaliwaduge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Screenshot-2025-11-24-at-07.13.05.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6663\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Maaveerar Naal has increasingly been presented\u2014especially by diaspora activists\u2014as a cultural or humanitarian day of mourning for Tamils. However, the historical origins, rituals, and political functions of Maaveerar Naal reveal that it was created and institutionalized by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) not as a Tamil national day of remembrance, but as an exclusively LTTE\u2011centric event. We examine the structure, symbolism, and ideological role of Maaveerar Naal, promoted by pro\u2011LTTE networks to keep alive the quest for separatism which has now progressed to political attempt having failed the terrorist attempt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maaveerar Naal is not representative of Tamil civilians. It was, and remains, a political ritual designed to reinforce LTTE identity, glorify armed militancy, and sustain diaspora mobilisation. The continued use of LTTE symbols, uniformed imagery, coordinated rituals, and selective commemoration raises legitimate national security, ideological, and ethical concerns. Maaveerar Naal is not relevant or applicable for non-LTTE Tamil civilians or non-LTTE Tamil militants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Origins and Purpose of Maaveerar Naal<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-tamil-heritage wp-block-embed-tamil-heritage\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"GoHa3jz1oo\"><a href=\"https:\/\/telibrary.com\/en\/maveerar-nal-1989\/\">Leader V Prabakaran\u2019s Heros day speech 1989<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Leader V Prabakaran\u2019s Heros day speech 1989&#8221; &#8212; Tamil Heritage\" src=\"https:\/\/telibrary.com\/en\/maveerar-nal-1989\/embed\/#?secret=GoHa3jz1oo\" data-secret=\"GoHa3jz1oo\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Maaveerar Naal (Great Heroes Day) began as an LTTE\u2011created event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The date\u201427 November\u2014was chosen to honour the death of the first LTTE combatant, Lt. Shankar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Prabhakaran institutionalised the day to create a cult of martyrdom\u201d central to LTTE identity-building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When Jaffna university commemorates Maaveerar Naal on 27 Nov \u2013 they are glorifying terrorists<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When academics professionals politicians commemrate Maaveerar Naal on 27 Nov \u2013 they are glorifying terrorists<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When students,&nbsp; youth living in Sri Lanka or overseas commemorate Maaveerar Naal on 27 Nov \u2013 they too are glorifying terrorists<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When diplomats &amp; headso f INGOs or foreign politicians take part in Maaveerar Naal on 27 Nov \u2013 they are definitely glorifying terrorists \u2013 shame on them<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1.1 LTTE Exclusivity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maaveerar Naal commemorates only LTTE cadres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It does not honour:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Non-LTTE civilian Tamil victims<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Victims of other Tamil militant groups (TELO, EPRLF, EROS, PLOTE)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tamil political leaders assassinated by the LTTE<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tamils killed by LTTE<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Muslim or Sinhalese victims of LTTE attacks<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This selective memory reveals the ideological nature of the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1.2 Ritualised Political Messaging<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The commemorative structure includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>LTTE flags and insignia<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Red\u2011and\u2011yellow LTTE colour themes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Video\/photographic displays of LTTE cadres<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Speeches glorifying martyrdom<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The 6:05\u202fpm ritual aligned with Lt. Shankar\u2019s time of death<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These elements are not markers of cultural mourning; they are symbols of political identity and militant continuity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1.3 Earliest Documented LTTE-Organised Commemorations (Photos &amp; Sources)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first known photographic and documentary evidence of Maaveerar Naal comes from LTTE\u2019s own publications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These confirm the event\u2019s unmistakeably LTTE\u2010centric, militarised origins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>1989 \u2013 First small\u2010scale commemoration held in LTTE\u2010controlled areas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Documented in LTTE newsletters and memorial leaflets featuring Prabhakaran, Shankar, and early Black Tigers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>1991 \u2013 LTTE\u2019s official magazine Viduthalai Pulikal\u201d carries full-page spreads of the event.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Images show:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2013 rows of uniformed LTTE cadres<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2013 LTTE flag backdrops<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2013 heavy emphasis on Prabhakaran\u2019s leadership<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2013 the first use of lamp-lighting rituals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>1992 \u2013 LTTE\u2019s Thuyilum Illam\u201d (martyrs cemetery) photographs appear for the first time with formal tomb\u2010stones.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>1993 \u2013 The first *mass* Maaveerar Naal event is recorded in LTTE\u2019s international newsletters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These feature:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2013 military parades<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2013 Prabhakaran\u2019s portraits<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2013 heavy recruitment messaging<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2013 coordination with LTTE overseas branches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These primary LTTE sources establish beyond dispute that Maaveerar Naal was conceived, branded, and promoted by the LTTE itself as a militant organisational event \u2013 not a Tamil cultural remembrance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Rebutting Key LTTE \/ Pro\u2011LTTE Arguments<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>2.1 Maaveerar Naal is a cultural day of mourning for Tamils.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Rebuttal:<\/strong>&nbsp;It is a commemorative day&nbsp;<em>only<\/em>&nbsp;for LTTE members. No Tamil civilian victims are included. Families from other Tamil militant groups are deliberately excluded by the LTTE. These families are not allowed to publicly mourn their dead sons &amp; daughters. Universities including academics\u201d and diaspora groups that frame this as a Tamil Mourning Day\u201d are misrepresenting history and contributing to separatist sentiment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2.2&nbsp;<em>LTTE were freedom fighters, not terrorists.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Rebuttal:<\/strong>&nbsp;Multiple governments and organisations across the world designated the LTTE as a terrorist organisation because of its systematic use of suicide bombings, civilian massacres, assassinations, and coercion. The continuance of the global ban even after 2009 demonstrates that the designation is based on evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The quest for separatism continues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Terrorism ended but not separatism \u2013 now being pushed by political means.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2.3&nbsp;<em>LTTE did not use child soldiers.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Rebuttal:<\/strong>&nbsp;International human rights organisations documented widespread recruitment of minors by the LTTE. Forced conscription campaigns targeted Tamil families, some repeatedly. Indoctrination included training rituals and, , distribution of cyanide capsules. These practices underline the militarised social control exercised by the LTTE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Every family was mandated to donate\u201d a child by Prabakaran\u2019s orders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Adele Balasingham trained children from late 1970s to mid 1990s \u2013 several books authored by her proudly admits to such training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>No global legal action has been taken against her for these crimes while she freely lives in UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Children\u2019s fundamental rights were robbed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2.4&nbsp;<em>LTTE did not endanger civilians or use them as human shields.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Rebuttal:<\/strong>&nbsp;Independent UN reports record:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>LTTE prevented civilians from escaping<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>LTTE shot civilians attempting to flee<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>LTTE embedded military infrastructure among civilians<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Civilians were forced to dig trenches and serve as labour<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>UNSG made several appeals to LTTE to release civilians &amp; children which LTTE ignored.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These acts constitute grave violations of humanitarian law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2.5&nbsp;<em>Assassinations blamed on LTTE were propaganda.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Rebuttal:<\/strong>&nbsp;LTTE\u2019s political assassinations are well-documented by Tamil politicians, rival militant groups, independent analysts, and eyewitnesses. Victims include leaders of TELO, EPRLF, PLOTE, TULF, Sri Lankan officials, Muslim leaders, and even Tamil civilians. The pattern shows an organised effort to eliminate all political rivals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2.6&nbsp;<em>Diaspora commemorations are harmless and protected speech.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Rebuttal:<\/strong>&nbsp;Commemorations remain structured around LTTE symbols.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When organisers insist on using LTTE flags, cadet portraits, Prabhakaran\u2019s speeches, or militarised aesthetics, these events become political mobilisation platforms for a banned organisation\u2014not neutral cultural rituals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2.7&nbsp;<em>Suicide cadres were heroes, not terrorists.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Rebuttal:<\/strong><em>&nbsp;<\/em>Suicide bombings targeting civilians and public spaces cannot be framed as honourable warfare. The LTTE\u2019s systematic use of suicide attacks\u2014including on economic, political, and civilian targets\u2014constitutes an intentional strategy of terror. Heroic framing through Maaveerar Naal rituals reinforces radicalisation among youth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2.8&nbsp;<em>LTTE governance structures show it was a state-like administration.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Rebuttal:<\/strong>&nbsp;While the LTTE established courts, police units, and tax systems in areas under its control, these institutions were tools of coercion. Dissenting Tamils were abducted, imprisoned, tortured, or killed. Forced recruitment and extortion contradicted the claim of a protective parallel government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2.9&nbsp;<em>LTTE fought humanely; the State alone is responsible for civilian deaths.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Rebuttal:<\/strong>&nbsp;LTTE-specific crimes\u2014preventing escape, embedding among civilians, forced labour\u2014are directly linked to civilian casualties. Survivor testimonies repeatedly describe LTTE brutality against civilians seeking safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>LTTE\u2019s initial killings began by attacking border villages killing even pregnant mothers &amp; slitting necks of babies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>LTTE committed ethnic cleansing by ordering eviction of Sinhalese &amp; Muslims living in the North in order to claim North belong only to Tamils\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2.10&nbsp;<em>Fundraising and front organisations are exaggerated claims.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Rebuttal:<\/strong>&nbsp;The persistence of LTTE symbolism in diaspora events, political lobbying, and digital propaganda demonstrates an active ideological network. The commercialisation of Maaveerar Naal (souvenirs, coordinated campaigns, media productions) evidences ongoing mobilization and the profit making nature of the LTTE diaspora.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2.11&nbsp;<em>LTTE empowered women; allegations of female abuse are false.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Rebuttal:<\/strong>&nbsp;LTTE recruitment of women was militarisation, not liberation. Many female cadres\u2014including minors\u2014were coerced into frontline combat and suicide missions. Uniformed representation does not equate to empowerment, particularly within a violent, authoritarian movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2.12&nbsp;<em>International criticism of LTTE is biased or political.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Rebuttal:<\/strong>&nbsp;HRW, UNICEF, UN investigative bodies, and independent human rights researchers documented LTTE abuses through field evidence, interviews, and survivor testimonies. The consistency of these findings across multiple independent institutions undermines claims of political targeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2.13&nbsp;<em>Cracking down on LTTE cemeteries is repression of Tamil mourning.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Rebuttal:<\/strong>&nbsp;As the LTTE is a proscribed terrorist organisation, the State is legally bound to prevent the public display and eulogizing of its terror symbols. The concern is not mourning but the political glorification of a banned militant movement. If Maaveerar Naal were a genuine communal mourning event, it would include all Tamil victims\u2014not exclusively LTTE fighters as well as not disallow family members of other Tamil militant groups to publicly mourn their dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2.14&nbsp;<em>Tamil victimhood justifies LTTE violence.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Rebuttal:<\/strong>&nbsp;Historical grievances do not grant any movement the right to commit war crimes, recruit children, assassinate civilians or political rivals, or use suicide terrorism. A legitimate political cause does not legitimise illegitimate methods. Majority of LTTE\u2019\u2019s victims were ordinary people who had done no harm to LTTE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2.15&nbsp;<em>Academics say it is cultural, not militant.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rebuttal: A number of diaspora\u2010aligned academics attempt to reframe Maaveerar Naal as a Tamil grief tradition.\u201d However:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>No Tamil cultural text, ritual, or historical practice predating LTTE mentions Maaveerar Naal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>No other Tamil militant group commemorates on this date.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>All known rituals\u20146:05pm torch lighting, roll call of LTTE dead, LTTE flags, Prabhakaran speeches\u2014 were *invented* by the LTTE.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Academic attempts to Tamilise\u201d Maaveerar Naal are modern reinterpretations, not cultural traditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These reinterpretations serve:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>diaspora political mobilisation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>legitimisation of LTTE\u2019s past violence<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>pressure campaigns against Sri Lanka internationally<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>None of these claims withstand comparison with LTTE\u2019s own printed and photographic record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Ideological Structure of Maaveerar Naal<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Maaveerar Naal is not simply memorialisation\u2014it is an ideological project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Its key functions include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Myth\u2011making and glorifying martyrdom\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Consolidating a loyal cadre identity<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mobilising diaspora youth<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reinforcing separatist narratives<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Maintaining LTTE\u2019s political relevance post\u20112009<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keeping LTTE kitty going \u2013 the project has become a lucrative business for a handful<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This ideological apparatus explains why the LTTE invested systematically in cemeteries, monuments, week-long rituals (<strong>Maaveerar Vaaram<\/strong>), and symbolic choreography.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>LTTE Families are also given special names and treated above all other Tamils.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The LTTE invested more in cemeteries, uniforms, and commemoration rituals than any other militant group in South Asia. This was deliberate psychological conditioning to create a generational identity tied to martyrdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The systematic documentation of each cadre\u2019s death in LTTE publications (with photos, biographies, battlefield descriptions) shows that Maaveerar Naal was the central pillar of LTTE propaganda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Political and Security Implications Today<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The persistence of Maaveerar Naal, often in LTTE colours, has several implications:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Radicalisation risk:<\/strong>Youth are exposed to romanticised militant narratives. Many have not lived in terror times to feel the fear of LTTE terror.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Diaspora mobilisation:<\/strong>Networks use symbolism for political lobbying &amp; international lobbying.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Historical distortion:<\/strong>The exclusive commemoration misrepresents Tamil suffering. Many Tamils suffered at the hands of LTTE \u2013 their narratives never get any public hearing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Security concerns:<\/strong>Glorification of a proscribed group encourages extremist continuity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This is not an issue of Tamil identity; it is an issue of repackaged militant glorification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All those siding with the LTTE post-2009 are not siding with ordinary Tamils who genuinely want to live in peaceful coexistence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maaveerar Naal events abroad follow an identical script every year\u2014flags, Prabhakaran portraits, uniformed LTTE children, and coordinated slogans\u2014demonstrating central direction, not spontaneous community grief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These are political mobilisations, not cultural gatherings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Towards a Balanced Framework of Remembrance<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>A legitimate Tamil remembrance framework would:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Honour Tamil civilians killed by<em>all<\/em>\u00a0actors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Include victims of multiple Tamil political movements<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Acknowledge massacres of Muslims and Sinhalese by LTTE<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Avoid militant symbolism, uniforms, flags, slogans<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Promote reconciliation over militancy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Not go to Geneva &amp; put posters claiming LTTE is our Savior\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Maaveerar Naal, as currently practised, does not meet these criteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maaveerar Naal is not a neutral or cultural day of mourning; it is a political ritual created by a proscribed terrorist organisation to reinforce its identity and ideology. Its exclusive commemorative structure, militant symbolism, and ongoing mobilisation functions contradict claims of cultural harmlessness. Understanding the origins, purpose, and ideological implications of Maaveerar Naal is essential for any serious conversation on reconciliation, national security, and historical truth in Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A path to genuine communal remembrance must be inclusive, civilian\u2011centred, and free of militant nostalgia. No one is stopping a mother or father of a terrorist mourning their dead son or daughter but that mourning does not need terrorist paraphernalia nor terrorist slogans &amp; terrorist organizing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A remembrance day that excludes Tamil victims of LTTE violence is not Tamil; it is LTTE. Any framework for true Tamil remembrance must break from LTTE symbolism entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A message every Sri Lankan elected Government must take note of without appeasing terror outfits &amp; their foreign campaigners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Shenali D Waduge<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Shenali D Waduge Maaveerar Naal has increasingly been presented\u2014especially by diaspora activists\u2014as a cultural or humanitarian day of mourning for Tamils. However, the historical origins, rituals, and political functions of Maaveerar Naal reveal that it was created and institutionalized by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) not as a Tamil national day of remembrance, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-153263","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-shenali-waduge"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/153263","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=153263"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/153263\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":153264,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/153263\/revisions\/153264"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=153263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=153263"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=153263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}