The best way the Sri Lankan government can pay tribute to the Tamil youth that took his own life calling for the release of political prisoners would be to respect his genuine feelings, the Chief Minister of the Northern Province has said.

Responding to the suicide of 18-year-old Rajeswaran Senthuran on Thursday, Mr Wigneswaran expressed his concern that the Sri Lankan state was not prone to be bothered by the deaths of Tamils.

"In the past, the lives we lost were never taken into consideration," he said. "They were considered normal."

Singapore’s prime minister Lee Hsien Loong presented India’s prime minister Narendra Modi a copy of the Tamil Murasu, which first reported on India’s recognition of Singapore as an independent country in 1965.

Maaveerar Naal in Nallur

Commemorative flames and candles have been lit to commemorate Maaveerar Naal, the Tamil national remembrance day, in Jaffna.

Members of the Northern Provincial Council, led by Councillor Shivajilingam, gathered at Nallur temple and Gurunagar's St Mary's church to light candles in remembrance of Tamil national liberation fighters who lost their lives in the armed conflict with the Sri Lankan state.

At least 27 Tamils were arrested overnight in the run-up to Maaveerar Naal, in the Chunnakam police district, in Jaffna.

Local sources told the Tamil Guardian that they were arrested on suspicion of being involved in Maaveerar Naal events.

However Chunnakam police said they were detained for "acting suspiciously" at night.

Tamils in the North-East participated in an event planting trees, commemorating Maaveerar Naal, the Tamil remembrance day.

The event, attended by local Tamils in and around Iththavil, near Palai, was organised by the Northern Provincial Council, with several officials, including Agricultural Minister Ayngaranesan, present.

The University of Jaffna commemorated Maaveerar Naal at an event on the campus at noon today.

The Madras High Court on Thursday gave permission for two organisations to hold events commemorating Maaveerar Naal, the Eelam Tamil national day of remembrance. The events are due to go ahead today in Kolathur in Salem district and at Palanisamy grounds in Alamoor.

Justice M.M. Sundresh allowed two different pleas filed by C Ramamurthy, town secretary of the Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam and by P Bharathi of Sethiathope in Cuddalore district, a functionary of Naam Thamizhar Katchi, requesting police to permit the meetings, the PTI reported.

The judge ordered the respective police authorities to allow the Maaveerar Naal events.

Mr Ramamurthy submitted that he had been conducting the meeting for the past 10 years, but when he applied for permission earlier this month, police refused.