Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and TVK chief C Joseph Vijay on Monday said he will always stand in solidarity for the “rights of our Tamil kin” living in Sri Lanka.
“We will carry the memories of Mullivaikkal in our hearts! We will always stand in solidarity for the rights of our Tamil kin living across the sea!”, Vijay said on X.
Sections of Sri Lankan Tamils and Tamils in India observe May 18 as the Mullivaikal Remembrance Day.
It marks the culmination of the three-decade Sri Lankan war in 2009, remembering the victims of the war during the final offensive in the coastal village of Mullivaikkal.
The Sri Lankan Tamils’ issue was not a major poll plank in the recent Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
However, in September 2025, in his address in the Nagapattinam district, too, Vijay had attempted to strike a chord with the issue. “Our umbilical-cord kin, the Eelam Tamils, whether they are in Sri Lanka or anywhere else in the world, are suffering after losing a leader who showed them motherly affection,” he had said in a clear reference to slain LTTE leader Prabhakaran. “It is our duty to raise our voice for them,” he had said.
While parties in power in Tamil Nadu generally refrain from being seen in support of Prabhakaran, Vijay’s minority government is being supported by VCK -- known for its pro-LTTE stance.
