21 Facts About Kalaivani Rajaratnam

Kalaivani Rajaratnam was a prominent Sri Lankan Tamil militant associated with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Kalaivani Rajaratnam is known by her aliases Dhanu, Thenmozhi, Gayatri and Anbu.

Kalaivani Rajaratnam, known by her aliases Dhanu, Thenmozhi, Gayatri and Anbu, was born into a Hindu Sri Lankan Tamil family on 26 July 1968 in Kaithady Nunavil, Chavakachcheri, a town in the Jaffna Peninsula of Sri Lanka.

Kalaivani Rajaratnam's family originated from Kupukullai, a small village in Jaffna.

Kalaivani Rajaratnam spent her early education years in Vavuniya and Batticaloa and temporarily resided in Urumpirai.

Kalaivani Rajaratnam was a significant influence on the Tamil militant movement and was considered a mentor to Velupillai Prabhakaran, the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Rajaratnam developed asthma in 1970 and later died from it in late 1975, when Kalaivani was only seven years old.

Kalaivani Rajaratnam was inspired by the LTTE from a young age and eventually joined their elite Black Tigers unit, a group of suicide bombers.

Kalaivani Rajaratnam took on the alias "Thenmozhi" after joining the LTTE.

On 21 May 1991, Kalaivani Rajaratnam carried out the assassination of Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Kalaivani Rajaratnam was the suicide bomber who killed Gandhi at his rally in Sriperumbudur.

Kalaivani Rajaratnam was selected by her cousin, Chandrasekarampillai Packiyachandran, known as Sivarasan, to serve as a suicide bomber in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.

Kalaivani Rajaratnam operated under the shortened alias "Dhanu," derived from one of her pseudonyms, Thenmozhi.

Kalaivani Rajaratnam arrived on the coast of Kodiakarai with several other tigers, including her cousins Sivarasan and Subha, in early May 1991.

Kalaivani Rajaratnam was instructed to garland Gandhi, and then bend over to touch his feet, a symbol of respect in South Asian culture.

Kalaivani Rajaratnam often spoke in English as not to set off suspicion with her Sri Lankan Tamil accent.

Kalaivani Rajaratnam wore a green and orange salwar kameez to the rally, under the alias Dhanu, and claimed to be from Kanchipuram.

Kalaivani Rajaratnam carried an explosive device hidden under her clothing.

Kalaivani Rajaratnam became a controversial figure in South Asian history for her role in the 1991 assassination of Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Kalaivani Rajaratnam's legacy remains deeply divisive, seen by some as martyrdom for a cause, and by others as a tragic chapter of extremism.

Kalaivani Rajaratnam was featured in Adele Balasingham's 1993 book Women Fighters of Liberation Tigers, where she appeared in a photograph as a flag bearer during a training camp in Sirumalai.