Malathi

Sahayaseeli Pedhuruppillai, alias Malathi (or Malathy), is the first female fighter of the Tamil Tigers to die in combat, hence revered as the first female martyr. Her death anniversary is commemorated as Women's Awakening day. Her death is significant as later females joined the Tamil Tigers at all levels and played significant roles (including the Black Tigers). On 10 October 1987, Malathi was injured in combat when an LTTE women unit, which she was leading, was confronted by the IPKF near Navatkuli-Kopay Road in Kopay near Jaffna. Although clearly overwhelmingly outnumbered by the IPKF soldiers with far more superior firepower, her team still successfully blocked and retaliated the IPKF and forced the IPKF to withdraw. In the battle, she was bleeding profusely and rendered immobile when her fellow fighter soldier girls rescued her. Malathi, realizing the grave situation, wanted the girls to leave her and go on with the fight, and then took her cyanide capsule to avoid being captured. Tamil Tigers called one of their brigades the Malathi Brigade in honour of her and built a memorial for her in Kilinochchi which was opened on October 10, 2004.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]

For other uses, see Malathi (disambiguation).

Malathy
Born(1967-01-04)4 January 1967
Died10 October 1987(1987-10-10) (aged 20)
Kopay, Jaffna
NationalityEelam Tamil
OccupationTamil Militant

References
  1. Dr Annelou Ypeij; Ms Reinhilde König; Professor Georg Frerks (28 October 2014). Gender and Conflict: Embodiments, Discourses and Symbolic Practices. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. pp. 123–. ISBN 978-1-4724-0461-9. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  2. Thanh-Đạm Trương; Saskia Wieringa; Amrita Chhachhi (2006). Engendering human security: feminist perspectives. Zed Books. ISBN 978-1-84277-778-7.
  3. "LTTE commemorates first woman martyr". Tamilnet. 10 October 2003. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  4. Jimmie Briggs (1 April 2009). Innocents Lost: When Child Soldiers Go to War. Basic Books. pp. 66–. ISBN 978-0-7867-3850-2. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  5. "Women's Awakening Day celebrated in NE". Tamilnet. 11 October 2003. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  6. "LTTE hails Malathy and gender equality". Daily Mirror. 11 October 2003. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  7. "முதல் பெண் மாவீரரான 2ஆம் லெப். மாலதியின் வீர வணக்க நாள் இன்றாகும்". irruppu.com. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  8. "MaaVeerar - மாவீரர் அணையாத தீபங்கள் Malathi - First Woman Martyr". Tamil Nation. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  9. "Jaffna observes Malathi death anniversary". Tamilnet. 10 October 2004. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  10. "Remembering Maalathy". Tamil Guardian. 10 October 2015. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  11. Dr Paige Whaley Eager (28 March 2013). From Freedom Fighters to Terrorists: Women and Political Violence. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. pp. 141–. ISBN 978-1-4094-9857-5. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  12. "Malathy Memorial opened in Kilinochchi". Tamilnet. 10 October 2004. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  13. "Denmark Tamil schools compete in Malathy Cup football tournament". Tamil Guardian. 21 February 2015. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  14. "Tamil Tiger rebels honor their female fighters in Sri Lanka". AP Worldstream  – via HighBeam (subscription required) . 12 October 2002. Archived from the original on 18 April 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
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