2ND LEAD

Commemorating sacrifices of Tamil struggle is an inalienable right, not a subject for ‘SL permission’

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 September 2020, 09:10 GMT]
Veteran human rights activist and Catholic priest Fr M. Sakthivel has condemned Tamil political parties for having lowered their moral standards to the level of seeking permission from the SL State to commemorate the sacrifices made in the Tamil struggle. His comments come following the members of the political parties writing a letter to the head of the occupying state of genocidal Sri Lanka to lift the ‘ban’ enforced through its judiciary and police on marking Lt Col Thileepan’s 33rd commemoration. Tamils held all their struggle related remembrance events, including all the Mu’l’ livaaykkaal Remembrance events after 2009, as part of their inalienable right as they regard such remembrance as an inalienable exercise of their right of self-determination, Fr Sakthivel observed.



It shows the defeatist mindset after 2009 and political bankruptcy prevailing among the parties calling them as Tamil nationalist parties, the priest said. There is no need to ask for such permission, he further said.

To honour the sacrifice by Thileepan, the activist has urged all Tamils to lit lamps at their households on Saturday.

The SL Police has also obtained interim orders from several SL courts in the North-East against marking remembrance events. The restrictions have gained increased focus under Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s iron-fist control, instituting against the freedom of expression of Eezham Tamils.

Despite such restrictions, university students, grassroots activists and Tamil politicians have organised collective fasting events.

Thileepan sacrificed his life in a historical dry hunger-strike in 1987, which exposed India’s interests-oriented invasion at that time.

Thileepan was the political head of the LTTE in Jaffna when New Delhi intervened with its military force after entering a State-to-State agreement with Colombo in July 1987.

Thileepan’s dry hunger strike lasted for 12 days in September 1987, and the LTTE political head had put forward five simple demands which the Indian Establishment could have easily accomplished had there been a genuine political will on the part of New Delhi.

Thileepan’s sacrifice was a significant historical event in the political emancipation of Eezham Tamils as it exposed the real agenda of the intervening power, India, which was calling the shots in the island.



The LTTE used to mark Lt Col Thileepan and Col Sankar remembrance event together. Col Sankar is a senior commander and the founder of the Tamileelam Air Force (TAF). Col. Sankar was assassinated by the Sri Lanka Army on September 26 in 2001.

Col. Sankar, a close associate of the LTTE leader, together with the then LTTE Political Head S.P. Thamilchelvan, were key persons who assisted Mr Pirapaharan with translations in his meeting with foreign envoys.

Sankar was assassinated when LTTE was actively engaged in the peace process and Mr. Thamilchelvan was assassinated in a targeted Sri Lanka Air Force bombardment three months before Colombo withdrew from the Norwegian brokered CFA.

Related Articles:
26.09.08   LTTE leader pays homage to Thileepan, Sankar


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