Pirapaharan pays tribute to slain TNA MP

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 December 2005, 22:43 GMT]
The leader of the Liberation Tigers, Mr. V. Pirapaharan, on Tuesday, paid tribute to the slain senior Tamil politician Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham in the Vanni. The body of the Tamil National Alliance paraliamentarian, who was shot inside Batticaloa St. Mary's Co-Catherdal during Christmas mass on Sunday, was taken to LTTE controlled Kokkadicholai on Monday and to Kilinochchi on Tuesday. The funeral service of the MP is to take place in the church where he was slain Thursday after receiving Holy Communion from Bishop Kingsley Swampillai.



Earlier, Mr Pirapaharan honoured Joseph Pararajasingam with LTTE's highest civilian title "Mamanithar."

The body was kept for people to pay tribute at Karadiyanaru in Kokkaddicholai for 3 hours on Monday. LTTE's Special Commander for Batticaloa, Col. Bhanu, Batticaloa Commander Nagesh, Commander Piraba, Government officials, religious leaders and fellow TNA MPs were present at Karadiyanaru. The body was also kept at Ramakrishnan Mission Vidyalayam for public viewing. Later the body was taken to Kaluwanchikudy and Arayampathi, and then taken to the MP's house in Batticaloa.

Batticaloa district observed a general shut down, and black and white flags were seen in the town.

TNA's Batticaloa district MPs, Mrs. K. Thangeswari and Mr. P.Kanagasabai, joined the escort of the coffin to Kilinochchi from Batticaloa. Sri Lanka Police, Special Task Force soldiers and the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) officials attended the procession.

The procession reached Vavuniya at 2:30 p.m and stopped there for more than an hour allowing residents of Vavuniya to pay tribute. Sri Lankan Police and military officials also paid tribute to the slain MP.

Vanni district TNA parliamentarians Selvam Adaikalanathan, Sivasakthi Anandan and Sivanathan Kishore joined the procession towards Kilinochchi with the SLMM facilitation.

LTTE's Political Head Mr. S.P.Thamilchelvan and the Financial Head of the LTTE Mr. Thamilenthi, senior members and commanders of the Tigers joined the LTTE leader in Vanni to pay tribute to the slain Tamil leader.