Vigneswaran Narthika, a student from war-affected Mullaitivu, has secured the top district ranking in the Biology stream of Sri Lanka’s General Certificate of Education (Advanced Level) examination, marking an extraordinary academic achievement despite the adversity she has endured.
Narthika, who hails from the village of Putharikuda in the Karaithuraipatru Divisional Secretariat Division, was just three years old when her father was killed during the final stages of the armed conflict in Mullivaikkal in 2009. He was among tens of thousands of Tamil civilians killed in Sri Lankan military shelling during what is now widely recognised by Tamils and international observers as the Mullivaikkal genocide.
Raised solely by her mother in the years that followed, Narthika began her schooling at Kalaimagal Vidyalaya in Mulliyawalai before transferring to Viththiyanantha College, where she completed her secondary education. In the most recent A-Level examination results, she obtained two A grades and one B grade, securing the first rank in the Biology stream for the entire Mullaitivu District.
Her accomplishment has drawn widespread admiration and praise, with many viewing her success as a powerful testament to resilience in the face of trauma and loss. Narthika’s academic journey is especially poignant in a region still struggling with the aftermath of genocide, displacement, militarisation, and neglect.
Mullaitivu, one of the most heavily bombarded regions during the final phase of the conflict, remains one of the most militarised districts on the island, occupied by the Sri Lankan military. Many survivors and families of the disappeared continue to seek justice for the atrocities committed, including the indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas and hospitals.
Narthika’s achievement has brought pride not only to her school and community but to a broader Tamil nation still reckoning with the scars of the genocide.
