Weaponising Non-Violence: Tiger Leader Thileepan’s Fast Unto Death

September 26th is of particular significance to a substantial number of Sri Lankan Tamils. For it was on this day in 1987 that a senior member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Thileepan died in Nallur after undertaking a fast unto death. Although the LTTE lost thousands of cadres during the many years it waged war against the Sri Lankan State, the death of Thileepan was different from the deaths of other LTTE fighters. Thileepan’s demise was not due to direct violence but due to non-violent direct action. He engaged in a fast unto death protest on 15 September 1987 and died after 12 days of fasting without even drinking water. This was after the Indo-Lanka accord of 29 July 1987. The Indian army referred to as the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) was stationed in Jaffna then.

Thileepan’s fast and death has been etched into the collective memory of Tamils over the years. His death is commemorated on a wide scale every year. Thileepan’s 37th  death anniversary falls next week on 26 September 2024. It is against this backdrop that this column focuses on “Thiyagi Thileepan”  relying on earlier writings. 

Rasiah Partheeban 

Thileepan whose  given  name was Rasiah  Partheeban (some spell it as Parthiban also)  was born on 29 November 1964. His father Rasiah “Master” was a respected school teacher. Partheeban  was the youngest of four  boys. He lost his mother while an infant and was brought up by his father. The family hailed from Urelu a village about eight miles from Jaffna town in the Valigamam sector of the Jaffna peninsula.

Partheeban was a student at the well-known northern educational institution Jaffna Hindu College. During his school days he was the Jaffna district champion in chess and participated in all-island competitions. He was in the G.C.E. A/L  class when  he entered the world of armed Tamil militancy by joining the LTTE. 

Initially he was recruited as a helper. Later he began assisting Ravindran alias Pandithar the then LTTE chief for Jaffna.Thileepan did not receive any military training in North or South India. He received arms training locally in Jaffna.

In those days former Jaffna LTTE commander Pandithar was in overall charge of both the military and political wings. Sathasivampillai Krishnakumar alias Kittu and Rasiah Parthiban alias Thileepan were placed second-in-command of the military and political wings respectively by Pandithar. 

Political  Commissar

After Pandithar’s death in 1985 Kittu became Jaffna commander. Thileepan was placed in charge of the political section as Political Commissar. He was given a comparatively free hand by Kittu. Soon Thileepan became a well-known figure in Jaffna. He interacted well with people and had a flair for public relations.LTTE supremo Prabhakaran who returned to Jaffna from India in January 1987 was greatly impressed by Thileepan’s ability and dedication. The LTTE leader promoted Thileepan as Lt. Colonel, a rank reserved only for district commanders in the LTTE hierarchy earlier.

Prabhakaran also appointed Thileepan in charge of all the LTTE political offices in the entire North-East. Thileepan’s headquarters was at Potpathy road in Kokuvil. After the first “Black Tiger” Capt. Miller’s death at Nelliaddi on 5 July 1987, the political headquarters was named “Miller Office”. A few months later, Thileepan himself like Miller was to court death voluntarily in September.

Although Thileepan was in charge of the political wing for a lengthy period of time, he was not a person who avoided actual combat. It was Kittu’s contention that there should not be a strict divide between the fighters and the political activists. Kittu felt that it would result in unwanted jealousies among the cadres and also nurture an unhealthy tradition where the fighter cadre would be “mutts” and political cadres “cowards”. Thus Thileepan actively participated in many military operations and was injured several times.

Thileepan  edited the LTTE publication “Kalaththil” (in the field). He also started a journal “Suthanthirap Paravaigal” (birds of freedom) for the LTTE women cadres. It was edited by the woman fighters. Thileepan was a powerful and prolific writer. He also played a prominent role in the affairs of the LTTE Radio and Television network in Jaffna.

 Thileepan also participated in important political discussions. He was a key member of LTTE delegations led by Kittu participating in talks with different people such as SLMP leader Vijaya Kumaratunga, Yatiyantota UNP Parliamentarian Vincent Perera, Lt. Col. Jayantha Kotelawela and members of the Buddhist clergy.

 When LTTE supremo Prabhakaran was taken by helicopter to India for talks with the then Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi prior to the Indo-Lanka accord, Thileepan also accompanied the Tiger leader. Later Prabhakaran and others including Thileepan went by an Indian Air Force plane from Madras to New Delhi. 

Indo-Lanka Accord

The Indo-Lanka accord of 29 July 1987 signed by Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sri Lankan President J.R. Jayewardene and the deployment of Indian soldiers as the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka was widely welcomed by the Tamil people of Sri Lanka.

Tamil eyes smiled at the end of war and prospects of an enduring peace underwritten by India. The chief Tamil political party at that time the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) was fully supportive of the accord. The premier Tamil militant organisation the LTTE too fell in line reluctantly. The LTTE mindset was illustrated vividly by Tiger supremo Veluppillai Prabhakaran’s historic “We Love India” speech at Sudhumalai on 5 August 1987. 

However as the days progressed the LTTE began feeling insecure and increasingly unhappy. Many of the promises given by Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to LTTE leader Veluppillai Prabhakaran were not being implemented speedily, opined the LTTE. The tardy progress as well as other acts of omission and commission by Indian authorities made the LTTE resentful. Covert machinations by the J.R. Jayewardene Government were also suspected. 

Moreover the overwhelming affection and goodwill displayed by the Tamil masses towards the Indian army in the initial stages of deployment also irritated the LTTE. The Tigers felt the “ungrateful” Tamil people had forgotten the sacrifices made by the LTTE and were gravitating towards “Mother India”. The LTTE was beginning to feel threatened by this. The “thinking” sections of the LTTE were troubled and concerned. 

Non-Violent Action

Chief among Tigers of this mindset was Thileepan the political head of the LTTE. Thileepan felt something had to be done to both jolt India as well as the Tamil people. Thileepan knew that a violent response to India was to invite disaster as the Tamil people themselves would not be in favour of it. So he decided to adopt a non-violent course of action against India by undertaking a fast unto death. 

This significant decision was arrived at after a tri-partite discussion between Thileepan, his political deputy Rajan and former Jaffna University lecturer Thirunavukkarasu known as “Thiru”. According to Rajan, Thileepan had actually made the decision to fast unto death and was only sounding out to Thiru for a second opinion. In the discussion two possible stumbling blocks were identified. One was whether the leader Prabhakaran would give his approval. The other “unknown” was how India would react. 

The situation was fraught with irony. The Tigers were adherents of armed political violence but now Thileepan was planning to adopt a non-violent protest against India, the cradle of Gandhian non-violence. 

When Thileepan told LTTE leader Prabhakaran about his intention, Prabhakaran found it very difficult to accept this course of action. Non-violent protest went against the grain of Tiger ideology.

But Thileepan was a man with a mission. He tried to persuade Prabhakaran to approve his proposed action and insisted that he (Thileepan) be allowed to engage in a fast unto death. The fact that Prabhakaran himself had embarked on a fast unto death in India without even partaking of water was cited by Thileepan in support of his request. Prabhakaran had engaged in a protest fast in Madras in 1986 when Indian Police seized the LTTE’s communication equipment. Within 24 hours New Delhi relented and the wireless equipment was returned. Finally Prabhakaran consented and gave Thileepan the green light. 

Five  Demands

Thileepan began his indefinite fast on 15 September 1987. He was determined to continue with the fast until the very end. In short he was ready to die. Five demands were placed before the Indian Government. Each one of the issues raised in these demands could only be resolved by the Sri Lankan Government. However, since India had provided assurances to the LTTE in particular and the Tamil people in general, ensuring implementation by the Colombo Government was New Delhi’s responsibility. 

The five demands were:

1. Colonisation of Sinhalese in Tamil areas of the Northern and Eastern Provinces should cease.

2. All Tamils detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and emergency regulations should be released.

3. An Interim Administrative Council for the Northern and Eastern Provinces should be established in which the LTTE should be given pride of place. This council would be in charge of rehabilitation for the North and East.

4. Sri Lankan Government must stop opening new Police stations and military camps in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. Lankan security personnel stationed in schools and colleges in Tamil areas must vacate them.

5. Weapons given by Sri Lankan Government to Home Guards in the North and East should be taken back. This withdrawal of weapons must be supervised by the Indian Army.

Before commencing his fast, Thileepan gave clear instructions that his fast should not be disrupted under any circumstances. He also decided not to consume even water. People like Bobby Sands in Ireland, Potti Sri Ramulu and Sankaralinga Nadar from India have fasted to death. But they did consume water. Thileepan was aware that as his physical condition deteriorated, he could cry out in agony for water. So he gave strict orders that none should give him water even if he cried out or begged for it in a delirium. In Thileepan’s case the non-consumption of water affected his physical condition rapidly. 

Commenced Fast in Nallur

Thileepan commenced his fast on 15 September 1987 at a structure constructed within the outer precincts of the hallowed Kandaswamy Temple at Nallur. He sat on a chair in the early stages during day and slept on a bed at night. The entire area was illuminated brightly during night by a generator. Tamil nationalist songs were played, speeches were made and poems recited. Thileepan’s favourite liberation song “O, maranitha Veeraney, un Seerudaiyai Enakkuth Thaa” (Oh heroic fighter who has died, give me your uniform) was played over the loudspeaker regularly. 
Initially the Tigers transported crowds and organised the singing of liberation songs. But after three days the event gathered a dynamic momentum of its own. People converged in large numbers at Nallur on their own. Religious observances were held in all parts of Jaffna. People took up Kavadi processions. A chain of sympathy fasts were held all over. The atmosphere at Nallur was highly charged with tension akin to religious fervour. After Thileepan’s death his picture was placed in home shrines and worshipped. 

LTTE leader Prabhakaran came to the venue and engaged in conversation with Thileepan. A poignant feature at the fast was the presence of Thileepan’s father Rasiah Master. He would sit in silence in a corner of the stage. With each day Thileepan’s condition worsened. LTTE cadres would keep massaging him to ease the pain. Suffering greatly Thileepan slipped into a coma. The end came 12 days later on 26 September. Dr. Sivakumaran of the Jaffna Hospital indicated that Thileepan was no more by touching his feet and worshipping him. Thileepan’s father emitted a loud wail “Aiyo” that echoed in the hearts of every one. Almost everyone present started crying. Upon hearing of Thileepan’s demise, Prabhakaran rushed to Nallur to pay his last respects.

Thileepan’s message to the Tamil people was read out in Tamil by his deputy Rajan. The final paragraph in the message was “I am confident 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”. These were the last words of Thileepan. 

Funeral  Procession

Thileepan’s body was taken to the Jaffna varsity and embalmed. Thereafter Thileepan’s body dressed in LTTE uniform was brought to Nallur for the people to pay their respects. The LTTE organised a massive funeral procession for Thileepan. The then LTTE Jaffna district political wing head Prasad chartred the routes and timings. 
Thileepan’s body was taken in a motorcade to the 435 villages and hamlets in the Jaffna peninsula. Thileepan had visited every one of these places as the LTTE political commissar. A song written by Tamil nationalist poet Kaasi Aanandan was played frequently over the loudspeaker. The refrain at the end of each verse “Oh Thileepan, Nee Engay Aiya Poagiraai” (oh Thileepan, where are you going now Sir) touched the people’s hearts.

Final Farewell

The final farewell was on 28 September at the Sudhumalai Amman temple grounds. After speeches were concluded, Thileepan’s body was formally given to the Jaffna medical faculty as requested by him. Senior LTTE stalwarts Shankar and Thevar officially handed over the body to Prof. Sivarajah of the Jaffna University.

Thileepan’s body was kept in the Jaffna medical faculty until 1995. When the LTTE withdrew from Jaffna in 1995 after “Operation Riviresa”, the Tigers took Thileepan’s remains and kept it in Kilinochchi hospital. When the Army took parts of Kilinochchi, the skeleton was taken to the Muthaiyankattu hospital. It was brought back to Kilinochchi when the LTTE re-captured the town in 1998. Prior to the fall of Kilinochchi to the Armed forces in January 2009, the body was taken to the Maathalan hospital. Shortly before Maathalan was seized by the Army in April 2009, Thileepan’s skeleton was cremated in Maathalan. 

Anti-Indian Mood

When Thileepan’s fast was underway most Tamil people expected Indian officials to intervene quickly and resolve the issue. They did not expect India would let Thileepan die. But sadly Thileepan did die.Thileepan’s death  converted  the Tamil people to the LTTE viewpoint as opposed to India within a few days. The post-accord pro-Indian mood became anti-Indian. 

Thileepan’s death and its consequences for India was summed up by Lieutenant-General Depinder Singh in his book, ‘The IPKF in Sri Lanka’. Singh wrote “Thileepan was a prominent personality and when he died, tragically on September 26, 1987, the chasm between India and the Sri Lankan Tamils widened immeasurably.” 

Thileepan’s death-fast also shook the LTTE. Nonviolent action seemed more effective in political mobilisation than violence. A senior member of the LTTE Thalayasingham Sivakumar alias Anton Master differed with Prabhakaran openly on the question of confronting India militarily and was expelled. Anton Master  wanted the LTTE to oppose India through non-violent methods.

“Ahimsai-Aayutham”

After Thileepan’s demise Narendran alias Yogi of the LTTE had to go around Jaffna emphasising that Thileepan was not an “Ahimsavathi” (man of non-violence) but a person who used “ahimsai” (non-violence) as an  “Aayutham”(weapon). In short Thileepan weaponised non-violence and was not a follower of non-violence was the LTTE position.

D.B.S.Jeyaraj  can be reached at [email protected]