Vijay pays tribute to LTTE chief Prabhakaran, vows solidarity with Lankan Tamils

On Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day, Vijay expressed solidarity with Sri Lankan Tamils and remembered victims of the final phase of the 2009 civil war, commemorated by Tamils globally as Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day. Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day also coincides with the day LTTE chief Prabhakaran was killed there.

In Short

• May 18 is observed as Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day by Tamils globally
• The date recalls civilians killed, injured or disappeared in 2009 offensive
• LTTE remains banned in India over Rajiv Gandhi assassination case

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and TVK chief C Joseph Vijay expressed solidarity with Sri Lankan Tamils, invoking Mullivaikkal in Sri Lanka, where Velupillai Prabhakaran, founder of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and one of the world’s most ruthless guerrilla leaders, was killed by the Sri Lankan army on May 18, 2009.

In a post on X, Vijay said, “We will carry the memories of Mullivaikkal in our hearts! We will always stand in solidarity for the rights of our Tamil kin living across the sea!”

Vijay’s remarks came as May 18 is observed by the global Sri Lankan Tamil population and by sections of Tamils in India as Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day, named after the place.

Also called Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day, the date marks the final stage of the Sri Lankan civil war in 2009 and commemorates the tens of thousands of Tamil civilians who were killed, injured, or went missing in the coastal village of Mullivaikkal during the final stages of the 26-year-long civil war.

The LTTE remains a banned organisation in India for its role in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, in which LTTE chief was named the prime accused.

The conflict in Sri Lanka, which began with demands for a separate homeland for Sri Lankan Tamils alleging discrimination, later evolved into a prolonged ethnic conflict that lasted nearly three decades.

Prabhakaran’s struggle often struck a chord in Tamil outreach by political parties in Tamil Nadu, although mainstream Dravidian parties like the AIADMK and the DMK navigated the issue cautiously, especially after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991.

However, new parties like Vijay’s have invoked Prabhakaran in the past to evoke a “Tamil First” identity. Vijay’s minority government has the outside support of DMK ally Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, which is known for its pro-LTTE stand.

In the run-up to the Tamil Nadu elections, Vijay stirred a row by likening him to a “mother” figure for Sri Lankan Tamils who showered them with “motherly love.”

Although the Sri Lankan Tamil issue did not emerge as a major political plank in recent Assembly elections, Vijay did not miss the occasion to pay tribute to Prabhakaran. Speaking in Nagapattinam district in September 2025, he said, “Our umbilical-cord kin, the Eelam Tamils, whether they are in Sri Lanka or anywhere else in the world, are suffering after losing a leader who showed them motherly affection.” He added, “It is our duty to raise our voice for them.”

- Ends