[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 October 2003, 12:37 GMT]
Heroes cemeteries in Tharavai in Batticaloa district and Vakarai Kandaladi are being renovated in preparation for the Heroes day (`Maaveerar Naal`) celebrations to take place on the 27th November. Work on the heroes day memorials in other parts of Vanni, Jaffna and Trincomalee are also in progress, according to sources.

The main event for the Batticaloa-Amparai district customarily takes place in Tharavai.

LTTE commanders, cadres and local residents are working in these locations to clean and spruce up the memorials.

LTTE declared November 27, the remembrance day of Lt. Shankar (Sathianathan), the first LTTE fighter to die, as Maveerar (Heroes) day, to commomerate the LTTE fighters who have sacrificed their lives in the liberation struggle.

Lt. Shankar died on 27th November 1982. The first Heroes day celebrations were held in 1989.

Tamils, Sinhalese and the international community eagerly await for the speech delivered by LTTE leader Pirapaharan on the eve of the Heroes day. The speech customarily contains nuances related the movement`s thinking on the liberation struggle.