Preparations for Maaveerar Naal, or Great Heroes Day, began this week at the site of a destroyed cemetery in Visuvamadu, Theravil, with local residents carrying out voluntary cleaning and maintenance work in honour of the Tamil fallen.
The day’s activities began with floral tributes to fallen Tamil fighters, followed by the start of a community led project to clean the site. This included constructing a perimeter fence around the cemetery, also known as a Thuyilum Illam or resting place.
However, as the fencing work progressed, Sri Lankan army personnel stationed nearby arrived at the site and objected to the installation of fence posts, disrupting the preparations.
The Thuyilum Illam in Theravil remains under partial military occupation, with the Sri Lankan army continuing to occupy large sections of the site. Only a small portion of the grounds has been accessible in recent years for remembrance events, which are held under tight surveillance.
Despite the interference, members of the committee overseeing the cleaning project continued their work, insisting that preparations would go ahead as planned. Speaking to local media, organisers described the voluntary effort as the beginning of this year’s remembrance activities, adding that their aim was to mark Heroes Day in a dignified and meaningful manner.
They also appealed to parents and relatives of fallen Tamil fighters to join the ongoing efforts and support the restoration work.
The organisers reiterated that, despite severe restrictions and military intimidation, remembrance events at the Thuyilum Illam have continued each year. They called on the Sri Lankan government to fully release the occupied cemetery lands and allow the Tamil people to commemorate their dead without interference.
The site of the destroyed cemeteries across the Tamil homeland remain heavily monitored by the Sri Lankan military, which continues to obstruct remembrance events. The Visuvamadu site is one of several cemeteries where Tamils have repeatedly demanded the return of occupied lands. The cemeteries, which housed the bodies of thousands of Tamil freedom fighters, were all destroyed by the Sri Lankan army.
