Vallipuram Vasanthan
| Vallipuram Vasanthan | |
|---|---|
| Born |
1 January 1966 Thunnalai, Jaffna |
| Died |
5 June 1987 (aged 21) Nelliady, Jaffna |
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Other names | Captain Miller |
| Occupation | Tamil Militant |
| Known for | First Black Tiger |
Vallipuram Vasanthan (Tamil: வல்லிப்புரம் வசந்தன்; also known as Captain Miller; born 1 January 1966, in Thunnalai, Vadamarachei) was the first Black Tiger for the LTTE[1] of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
Personal life
He died on 5 July 1987 and Vasanthan was the second of three children (2 boys and 1 girl) to his parents. His father was a Manager of bank of Ceylon, Pointpedro. He was a student of Hartley College in Point Pedro.[2]
LTTE
Vasanthan joined the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam at very young age and soon became a Black Tiger. LTTE knew that the Sri Lankan Army were preparing for an offensive in Jaffna to destroy LTTE once and for all and they knew they lacked resources to attack a strong base, Vasanthan volunteered to sacrifice his life in order for LTTE to win.
He drove a small truck laden with explosives into a Sri Lanka Army camp in Nelliady Madhya Maha Vidyalayam,K araveddy in Jaffna peninsula, on 5 July 1987, killing himself and 40 Sri Lankan soldiers.[3][4]
Following the attack normal LTTE cadres attacked the base successfully, therefore preventing Sri Lankan Armies' major offensive.
Fame
Vasanthan achieved posthumous fame as the first Black Tiger of 240 and one of the first suicide bombers of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. A statue was erected in his honour, at the site of his attack in the Nelliyadi Madya Maha Vidyalayam, in 2002.
Black Tigers Day
5 July was commemorated annually as "Black Tigers Day", as well as 27 November being commemorated as Martyrs Day or Heroes Day. The deadly effect of the attack encouraged more attacks of a similar nature.[5] The attack allegedly temporarily set back a planned invasion of Jaffna town by government security forces.[6]