A remembrance event and the distribution of Mullivaikkal kanji were organised on Friday in Batticaloa district, marking the fourth day of Tamil Genocide Remembrance Week ahead of May 18 commemorations across the Tamil homeland.
The event was organised by the Vellaveli Pradeshiya Sabha and held under the leadership of Porativupattu Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman V. Mathimenan.
The commemoration honoured Tamil civilians killed during the final stages of the genocide at Mullivaikkal in 2009, where tens of thousands of Tamils were massacred by the Sri Lankan military.
Members of the Pradeshiya Sabha, including Deputy Chairman Kayaseelan, participated in the event alongside Yananayaga Poralikal Kadchi Vice President N. Nakules, local administrators, members of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) and members of the public.
As part of the remembrance event, Mullivaikkal kanji was prepared and distributed among attendees in an act of collective mourning and solidarity.
A common flame was first lit by the chairman in memory of those killed during the Mullivaikkal genocide, followed by the lighting of 17 lamps symbolising the 17 years since the massacres of May 2009.
Participants also paid floral tributes and observed moments of silence in remembrance of the victims.
Religious observances were later conducted at a nearby temple before the kanji distribution took place.
As previously reported by the Tamil Guardian, Mullivaikkal kanji has become a powerful symbol of remembrance amongst Eelam Tamils, recalling the rice water consumed by civilians trapped in Mullivaikkal during the final months of the armed conflict as they endured starvation, displacement and relentless bombardment.
Tamil Genocide Remembrance Week events are currently being held across the North-East, with remembrance gatherings, kanji distributions and memorial observances taking place in towns and villages throughout the Tamil homeland ahead of May 18.