Tiraikerny massacre 06.08.1990
Tiraikerny was originally a coconut estate of about 300 acres in the idyllic region of Amparai. The ownership at the time sympathized with the hardships of the landless peasantry, both Muslims and Tamils, at Palamunai, Oluvil, Meenodaikattu and Addalaichenai, and the estate was given to the people at a very nominal price of
Rs.200/ – per acre. Various community figures, such as Nagappar Subramaniyam and Periya Kanapathipillai Upathiyar of Karaitivu, worked hard in developing the village and making it into a successful agricultural area.
On the 06.08.1990, the peace and hard work of the villagers was destroyed. Hundreds of Muslims stormed into the village and set ablaze the homes of the Tamils and attacked the Tamil villagers and threw their mutilated bodies into the near by Hindu Temple. Statements recorded from victims and witnesses to this outrageous crime reveal that there was no provocation from the Tamils for such an attack.
A woman witness revealed the background of the events, the intention and purposes leading to the attack and how it was executed:
“I was married in 1976 and had three children – two sons, and a daughter. Around 6 0′ clock in the morning, on the 6th August 1990; I heard the cries of women from the direction of my Muslim neighbour’s house. Since we had maintained a friendly relationship with our Muslim neighbours, I rushed to the house from which the Muslim women raised cries.
I found several women in that house and every one was in tears, weeping over the death of some member of the family. The women said that their men who went to the paddy field at Alimadakadu had been cut to pieces and slain. No one knew who the killers were.
I spent about half an hour with the grieving family, I shared their sorrow but returned home to attend to the household chores before the children left for school. A few minutes after I returned home, and was busy with my work, I heard people shouting. Together with my husband I rushed to the gate to see what was wrong. We found men, women and children moving away from their homes in a state of excitement. They were in a state of great confusion, agitated with fear and worry. They told us that they were running away from an angry mob composed of Muslims who had vowed to destroy Thiraikerny. They were going to the Pillaiyar Temple as it is dangerous to remain in homes. The Tamils who were running away, warned us saying “do not stay here; the mob is heavily armed according to information received from friendly Muslims”.
My husband was shaken by the news. When the entire population in the village was moving out, we saw no wisdom in staying at home. Leaving all our possessions in our house and keeping the doors open, we left home with the children and took refuge in the Pillaiyar Temple. Soon the Muslims appeared on the road at a distance.
Riotous gangsters numbering more than 150 men, armed with knives, swords, sickles and clubs and seemingly possessed by wild and violent anger, shouted slogans against the Tamils, and called out the Muslims to unite to fight the Tamils. We were in bewilderment and spent every minute in fear. People prayed for Divine intervention to save the people from the apparent danger. As we looked up we saw clouds of smoke rising up the sky. The smoke came from the burning houses of the Tamils. As the goons were approaching the Temple, the people ran towards the Periyathambiran Temple and the mob followed. The people having resigned their fate watched with fear every movement of the menacing crowd of attackers. In a split of a second – no sooner the mob reached the Temple premise, an armored car, drove into the temple premise. There were six soldiers in uniform in the vehicle.
The soldiers acted differently. They did not themselves take part in the attack. The behavior of the soldiers gave some courage to the Tamil youths to approach the armored car. With hands raised above their heads, they walked up to the soldiers and sought to plead with the soldiers to prevail on the Muslims to prevent any attack on the poor innocent Tamils who had sought refuge in the temple. The soldiers, I was told, had to stop the Muslims. The soldiers were alleged to have told the young men that the Tamils had killed Muslims and therefore the army cannot intervene.
The soldiers waved their hands, telling the Tamil youths to go away from them, and that waving of their hands was taken as a signal for the attackers to begin their assault. First they began desecrating the Temple. Some went to damage the wall while some others broke the door. Yet the Tamils did not say a word to the attackers. Some of the Muslims entered into the sanctum and came out with the Sacred Trident and the spear that were firmly fixed to the ground. Some took away the tools like knife, axe and crowbar, used in the Temple by the priests. The Tamils were later attacked with the Trident, the spear, and the tools taken away from the Temple.
The attackers first assaulted the men seated on the ground with knifes. Those who were in the rear escaped. In the melee that followed the attack, even some of the injured ran away, but did not return alive. My husband was attacked with knife and he died there. The people wondered whether it was a joint attack of the Army and the Muslims – such attacks had occurred in the Tamils areas previously. The arrival of the soldiers at the Hindu temple premises had an impact. The goons appeared very happy and they shouted in jubilation.
As the attackers were busy mauling the innocents, sharp reports of fire-arms were heard from the main trunk road. The soldiers who had come over to Thiraikerny to witness the annihilation of the Tamils fled in their armored car.
When the armored vehicle left, the attackers too fled, crying out. ‘Tigers are coming to attack us’. When they had all fled, I looked around, and found several of my people dead and among those killed was not only men but also women and children. A very young mother known as Vijeyaluxmy and her infant too were killed.
A contingent of the police – the Special Task Force (STF) came in a number of vehicles. They had come there firing all the way. We realized that it is their firing that drove away the soldiers and the attackers. They saw the large number that had been murdered and injured. The women, who had been frozen from shock and fear, were unable to speak. There was blood and flesh strewn all around. In the midst of piercing shrill cries and screams of the injured, the chief of the STF promised protection and help to all victims.”
**According to a sworn statement, a little girl was seized and raped, and thereafter, thrown into the fire. Rescuers recovered the half-burnt body and buried it.
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