An event was held in Vavuniya this week to commemorate Nava Sama Samaja Party (NSSP) leader and Tamil Eelam supporter Dr. Wickramabahu Karunaratne, who passed away recently.
A portrait of Dr Karunaratne was decorated with garlands while Tamils lit candles and offered their condolences. The event in Vavuniya was organised by a group of civil society organisations.
In 2021, Dr Karunaratne, in a statement, called for the international recognition of the “ongoing” genocide of Tamils and the recognition of Eelam as a state. “A systematic referendum is needed to recognize Tamil Eelam internationally,” Dr. Karunaratne stated. “The Western world has propagated the name of terrorism to suppress the Tamil voice calling for a separate state,” he added.