“When the Tiger flag flies in this fort, we will be free.”
“When the Tiger flag flies in this fort, we will be free.”
The wind carrying Lt. Col. Thileepan’s speech embraced the Tiger flag that was flying majestically in the fort. Happiness, pride. The Tamils were immersed in a feeling of all kinds of emotions that were still unknown.
‘Jeevan’ forest camp celebrated the victory. The team of the women’s brigade, who were receiving military training from Lt. Col. Mathavi (later the Special Commander of the Naval Team Women’s Brigade), had been training with the idea that they would capture the fort after completing their training, but despite the joy of victory, the team felt worried.
“When will we fight?”
The same question was on everyone’s mind.
“They ran away because he was afraid that you were coming”
The instructors joked.
“Before we left, if this had happened, what would have happened if we had gone?”
The trainers, including Lt. Col. Nirma, reassured themselves that a fight would not have happened.
It was the time of the Second Eelam War.
The fields were vast.
The Palaly military base was guarded by fighters. Nirma, who had been in charge of areas like Katuvan and Vimankamam, was appointed as the second in charge of a small team from the beginning. He had also been the second in charge of a team that participated in the air-sea investigation over the Aanayiravu base, which was our first traditional battle, which was much talked about in the history of the liberation struggle.
She was wounded in Pullaveli in the attack of the enemy from taking Aanayiravu. Nirma and team landed in Vettilaikeni and blocked the way for the troops to move towards Aanayiravu.
After recovering from his injury, he was put through special training on landmines. After completing training as the first landmine squad of the LTTE Women’s Brigade, she left to work with the insignia given by the national leader, Mr. V. Prabhakaran.
The Gajabara counter-offensive followed (1992). Her fields continued as Balawegaya-02 Counter-Operation (1992).
In 1992, during the preparations for the 150-strong demolition operation from Thondamanaru to Ottakapulam, a section was given to Nirma for daytime observation. At night, we advanced with our investigation teams. We cleared the enemy’s traps on the roads where the attack teams were to enter, we continuously observed them while getting wet in the rain during the day and drying them in the sun. Again, we cleared mines at night, which was a hard task for the last five or six days.
In the meantime, Nirma’s commander, who saw Nirma’s team arriving, ordered everyone to go to the background and take a bath. Nirma, who did not go with the whole team, said that it was a daytime observation, but sent the others to take a bath. With only a couple of days left before the start of the battle, she was very careful not to let even a small mistake due to his carelessness affect the operation. Nirma was responsible for ensuring that the situation was not complicated. Since there was a lot of movement in the Palaly airfield area during the day, she did not even get down from the tree to eat but kept observing with binoculars. When the battle began, Nirma was assigned the task of evacuating the wounded from the background. It was unacceptable to Nirma that she had no direct role in the battle. Nirma, who had started moving along with the teams moving in the darkness, was spotted by her commander’s sharp eyes. He immediately sent her to the background.
When the fighting began and the first unit moved the wounded to the background, Nirma joined them when the guard group moved to the front again.
In 1993, the soldiers involved in the Yarldevi operation from Aanayiravu were defeated by the LTTE combat teams. Nirma’s team was also involved in the task of removing the mines planted by the soldiers along the route.
While removing the mines, they also removed the unexploded ordnance. Although handling the ordnance was the job of a separate team, since it was a populated area, Nirma tried to avoid accidents that could happen to people who suddenly came. She did not even allow her team members to do so.
The person in charge who came to inspect the works severely reprimanded Nirma and said,
“You are not allowed to remove unexploded ordnance.”
But after the work was completed, she voluntarily asked the person in charge and received training in removing unexploded ordnance. This is Nirma. She never wanted to leave anything that she did not know.
After this, she participated in the ‘Frog Operation’ on the Poonagari military base. She also did the work of removing mines there.
Many fields required her work. Her team was responsible for planting mines in the Suryakathir – 01 counter-operation field. It was a very critical field. The field location would change every day. It was a very difficult task to plant landmines according to the situation of the battle and the movement of the fighting forces, mark them on the map, remove them when the teams moved, and replant them. The hands of the minelayers were exhausted. Nirma was injured in the dangerous Suryakathir – 01 field.
After recovering from her injury, she was working as a teacher providing training on mines to a new team.
Nirma’s role was important in the great task of removing thousands of mines inch by inch throughout the territory recovered through the “Oyaatha Alaikal -1” Mullai Rescue Battle, which made a huge difference in the Third Eelam War, and allowing people to move without fear.
Those difficult days when she worked in the section in charge of the minelayers’ division on the counter-operation front were certain.
“Oyaatha Alaikal -2” – She served as a deminer in charge of a limited area in the Kilinochchi rescue operation. She was injured in the head by a grenade. Her friends joked that Nirma was constantly getting injured by grenades.
“The grenade is so interesting in me. That’s what it’s looking for.”
Nirma laughed.
The demining team that was with the LTTE Women’s Brigade later became the demining unit of the Malathy Brigade and then on 1999.04.28 when Lt. Col. Ponnamman took a new look as the Women’s Demining Team, Nirma was appointed as the 2nd in charge of that team by the national leader Mr. V. Prabhakaran.
Lt. Col. Ponnamman took direct charge of the initial regimental training and additional specialized training of the new fighters who had come to expand the minefield team. The foundation of the minefield women’s team that is spread across the field today is the foundation that Nirma laid by paying attention to even the smallest details.
When the new team that completed the training left for work, Nirma worked as the administrative officer of the minefield women’s team.
Those were the days when we climbed the third wave and moved our forces into Valikamam, Vadamaradchi, Thenmaradchi, making our strength known to the enemy. The fields were wide open. Nirma was in charge of the minefield-related work in the Palay area. Nirma’s role was significant in all the “Oyaatha Alaikal -01, 02, 03, 04”.
We were calm, but the enemy was agitated. We patiently maintained the unilateral ceasefire for four months. The enemy prolonged the time by violating the ceasefire. On the day the ceasefire ended. We stood ready to stop the enemy’s major advance.
With the advice of foreign experts and the assistance of weapons and equipment provided by them, we extinguished the Sri Lankan Army’s operation “Thichuwalai-01” in just three days with our great strength.
To the extent that the army officers reported that many soldiers were killed and injured in large numbers by shells and landmines. Nirma’s role in the field was significant. Nirma, with his team, completed the plan prepared by the national leader Mr. V. Prabhakaran to plant such and such mines.
Nirma, who is always injured by shells.
“That’s why the shell is looking for me so much!”
That shell, the last shell, came looking for the smiling Nirma.
This news came at a time when the counter-operation of Theechuvalai-01 had been successfully concluded, the ranks were being reorganized, and the burnt fences and damaged shelters were being repaired by the fighters.
Nirma is no longer with us.
Kili, Senthiresa Girls’ College lost its old student and a basketball hero.
Loss is always sad. But no country in the world has ever gained freedom without shedding blood and understanding the differences.
As our leader says, the wonderful ideal life of the heroes, their differences, the sufferings they experienced, the longing they had, the dreams they had, all these are the total expression of our struggle history.
– Erimalai, December 2002
(Translation by Tamilpriya)
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