VVT celebrates Pirapaharan's birthday with parade

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 November 2005, 14:56 GMT]
Festive atmosphere prevailed in Jaffna district Saturday as residents across the district celebrated the fifty first birthday of Velupillai Pirapaharan, sources from Jaffna said. In Valvettiturai (VVT), his birthplace, school music bands led a parade where villagers and students took his photograph from the Nediyakadu Pillayar temple along VVT hospital to Alady where Pirapaharan's house is located. More than 500 uniform clad members of the recently passed out Auxilliary force also participated in the parade.

The parade wound through VVT town along areas where Sri Lanka Police and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camps are located. SLA soldiers were not present while the auxilliary unit cadres trained by Kangai Amaran Naval Unit marched. However, sources said policemen were watching the parade.

The event which started at 4.30 p.m. Saturday ended at the Aalady area at the Heroes Day memorial Hall where the Heroes commemoration was held.

Secretary of Vadamaradchy Fishermen Consortium, Kandavanam Sooriyakumaran, lit the common flame.

Following the event a birthday cake was cut at Pirpaharan's House by the villagers, and sweets were distributed to participants.

Special poojas were conducted at the VVT Muthumari Amman Temple and VVT Sivan Kovil during the day.

In Jaffna town, students from Jaffna Campus, offered sweets to the public and passengers in vehicles throughout the day. Although SLA soldiers and police were patrolling the streets there was no interference, sources said.

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