Chavakachcheri market massacre – 27 October 1987
The Thenmaradchi area, the southern part of Jaffna, connects Jaffna peninsula to the Vanni mainland. Chavakachcheri town is the main town of the Thenmaradchi area and it is located 15 kilometres from the Jaffna town on the A9 road.
27 October 1987 was a special temple festival day known as “Sooran por”. As part of this festival, there was a procession from the temple in town with large number of temple goers moving with the “Sooran” statue on the street. The Chavakachcheri market was also buzzing with buyers and sellers as usual.
Around noon Indian forces fired from MI-24 helicopters on the people. People scattered in panic.
Buyers and sellers at the Chavakachcheri market came under the attack of the helicopters. All together 68 civilians in the market were killed. 175 people were injured. The “Sooran” statue in procession was also destroyed.
Vathsala Kanagaratnam of 23/5 Central East Road Gurunagar said in her affidavit,
“We were taking refuge at St Patricks College. On 27 October my husband left for Chavakachcheri market to buy provisions. When he did not return I was very worried. On the third day I was informed that my husband, Palaniyandi Kanagaratnam was killed when the Chavakachcheri market was shelled from the air. I also learnt that his body was buried at the Chavakachcheri burial ground. I am expecting a child and I am now without an income after my husband’s death.”
Available details of those killed (No., Name, Occupation, Age)
01. Ilayathamby Nagarasa, Farmer, 50
02. Rasaih Thiraviyam Mariampillai, Farmer, 32
03. Rasanayagam Nanthini, Student, 20
04. Rasanayagam Arunthavarasa, Student, 13
05. Rasa Sritharan, Retailer, 26
06. Rasathurai Rasenthirabose, Student, 18
07. Rajasingam Manoharan, , 38
08. Rajasingam Gowrithas, Student, 20
09. Nagamuthu Thangamma, Home maker, 66
10. Nagamuthu Thavarasa, Toddy tapper, 27
11. Nagarasa, Pushparasa, Student, 13
12. Nagarasa Thanaladchmi, , 21
13. Nagarasa Maheswari, , 41
14. Nagarasa Shanmugarasa, Student, 10
15. Nallathamby Rasaih, Retailer, 56
16. Kanahu Ponnu, , 57
17. Kandaih Manonmani, Retailer, 58
18. Kanthan Thangam, Retailer, 51
19. Kandasamy Vaitheeswarasarma, Priest, 26
20. Vaitheeswarasarma Kalaiselvan, Baby, 02
21. Kandasamy Kentheeswaran, , 20
22. Karthikesu Benedict Mathews, Retailer, 32
23. Kanapathy Mayilvahanam, Manager, 40
24. Palaniyandi Kanagaratnam, Labourer, 34
25. Pillainkuddi Thuraisamy, Driver, 49
26. Philip rasenthiram, Mason, 42
27. Vaithilingam Mayilvahanam, Retailer, 45
28. Thambu Jeyaratnam, Labourer, 22
29. Thambirasa Chandramohan, Student, 21
30. Markandu Thurairasa, Tobacco roller, 55
31. Murukesu Nadarasa, CTB employee, 50
32. Murukesu sivasubramanium, Black smith, 41
33. Ananthasamy Arunthavasivanesan, Driver, 25
34. Arumugam Visvanathan, Retailer, 31
35. Afred Nobert Lewis Steven, Tea shop worker, 29
36. Jeyaratnam Veera jeya paramsothy, Retailer, 23
37. Kovinthasamy Mahenthiran, Retailer, 27
38. Ponnuthurai Kamaleswari, Student, 10
39. Ponnuthurai Thangaratnam, Retailer, 56
40. Ponnuthurai Maheswari, Home maker, 49
41. Ponnuthurai Manjulathevi, Home maker, 28
42. Ponnambalam Kanagasingam, Labourer, 41
43. Poloranj Ariyamalar Rasasingam, Home maker, 65
44. Thesingam Chellaih, Student, 14
45. Donald Naveen Gindeks, Electrician, 20
46. Somasundaram Chinnachchi, Home maker, 38
47. Sellathurai Thayaparan, Student, 16
48. Sellathurai Renganathan, Farmer, 32
49. Vettivelu Sivasri, Student, 18
50. Velupillai Gunabalasingam, labourer, 30
51. Velupillai Thangamma, , 72
52. Velupillai Yogeswaran, Bus conductor, 19
53. Gnanamuthu ranjithamalar, Retired, 63
54. Subramanim Paranthaman, Student, 12
55. Subbaih Ponnamah, Retailer, 60
56. Sinnavan Nagamuthu, Farmer, 76
57. Sinnavan Chellaiyan, Labourer, 45
58. Sinnarasa Arumairarasa, Mechanic, 33
59. Sinnaih Ambikaipalan, Labourer, 27
60. Sithamparampillai Kumarasamy, Retailer, 52
61. Sivakolunthu Maheswaran, Goldsmith, 55
62. Shanmugam Pararajasingam, Retailer, 34
63. Vanniyasingam Baskaran, Student, 19
64. Visuvanathan Kandaih, Retailer, 59
65. Eliaz Sirayutheen, Retailer, 27