Remembering Thileepan Anna

Written By: Geanany Rasanathan

When we hear the names of historical figures such as Gandhi and Martin Luther King, we think, peace, non-violence, liberation struggles. These individuals remind us of the injustice that surrounds us and the sufferings experienced by many in such an unjust world. Thileepan Anna. This is not just another name to add to the list above. He’s not just a soul who stood for the rights and freedom of his people. Thileepan Anna. When Tamils hear his name, they feel a wave of pride flush over them. Their hairs stand at ends, as they think in awe, how it was possible for an individual to be so selfless in such a selfish world. Although history has taught us many lessons and given us new perspectives, Thileepan Anna’s selfless sacrifice, his determination to achieve a resolution for the Tamils, and his commitment have inspired all Tamils and taught us much more than history can ever teach us.

What Happened?
The Indo-Lanka accord was signed between the Indian and Sri Lankan Governments in 1987, assuring the safety, wellbeing and prosperity of Tamils from both the Indian and Sri Lankan Government. When the Indian Army arrived on the Tamils’ land in 1987, Tamils came to know that the Indian Army was rather aimed at bringing an end to Tamil nationalism on the island. In effort to persuade the Indian Government to honour the security undertakings it gave to the Tamils in the treaty, Thileepan Anna, the former political wing leader for the Jaffna District of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam began a fast-unto-death on September 15, 1987 in front of Nallur Kandasamy Temple, demanding the following from the Indian Government:
– Release of all Tamils held in police stations, military camps and prisons under Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA)
– Bring an end to the state-sponsored Sinhala colonization of Tamil lands
– Halt the setting up of Sinhala-manned police stations in Tamil areas
– Withdraw Sri Lankan security forces from Tamil areas and disarm homeguards under the supervision of the Indian Army
– Suspend all rehabilitation work until the formation of an interim Tamil government for the Tamil homelands

To obtain the freedom and rights that his people were deprived of, Thileepan Anna deprived himself of basic necessities. He starved himself, and refused to intake water, ensuring that not even a drop of water touched his tongue during the hunger strike. Never in history has an individual undergone a hunger strike such as Thileepan Anna did. Hunger strikers refuse food during their strike. Thileepan Anna, refused liquids as well, surpassing the non-violent actions of even Mahatma Gandhi.

The Sri Lankan and Indian governments ignored Thileepan Anna’s peaceful protest and carelessly watched him make the ultimate sacrifice for his people and land on September 26, 1987. For Thileepan Anna, death was not a matter of seconds; it was a matter of weeks. He lived through a hell of 12 days, as he watched his body expire. Death is a permanent end to life. But Thileepan Anna put himself through 12 days of death, as he experienced the tortures of his organs slowly losing their function and his body becoming weaker with every minute that passed. All of this for what? To safeguard the freedom and honour of the people he loved so that his people could live with dignity in a country of their own, Tamileelam.

Although he was part of a guerilla movement, Thileepan Anna chose the path of ahimsa to demand the freedom of his people. His actions serve as a symbol of peace, and his belief in a non-violent struggle. Thileepan Anna’s death reveals the determination of our Tamil freedom fighters and the heights that they will go to for the people and land that they love, for they believe that “A life is very, very precious. But even more precious is our freedom, our honour, our rights.”

Thileepan Anna, through his sacrifice, reminds us that the freedom of Tamils is in only our hands. The country and people for which he gave his life for continue to have their rights deprived and voices silenced. His hunger for peace, thirst for freedom, for a country of our own has yet to be fulfilled. His selfless sacrifice shall guide us in our journey for Tamileelam, so that one day, we can be assured that Thileepan Anna and all our Maveerar, rest in peace.

“I am confident that our people will, one day, achieve their freedom. It gives me great satisfaction and contentment that I am fulfilling a national responsibility to the nation.”