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Mr. Iqbal Athas with LTTE spokesman Anton Balasingham and Mahattaya.

On May 21, 1991, in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, India, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated. Rajiv Gandhi was responsible for the disastrous Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) operation in Sri Lanka from 1987 to 1990, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of innocent Tamil civilians at the hands of the Indian Army during its occupation. The disastrous intervention in Sri Lanka also contributed to the second JVP insurrection, which led to the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians in the Sinhalese south at the hands of both the Sri Lankan state and the JVP. Despite warnings and requests from Indian officials and politicians not to intervene militarily, Rajiv Gandhi insisted on and pushed ahead with the military intervention in Sri Lanka. The intervention was never intended to resolve the Tamil national question. Rather, it was primarily aimed at bringing Sri Lanka closer to India’s geopolitical sphere of influence. The Indian Army became notorious for its repeated use of sexual violence against women, children, and men; enforced disappearances; looting; the burning of entire villages; censorship; and brutal massacres, all of which were known to Rajiv Gandhi. Despite several offers from the Tamil resistance to resolve the issue diplomatically, the warmongering Rajiv Gandhi insisted on a military solution. He betrayed the special relationship that Indira Gandhi had forged with the Eelam Tamils. The Eelam Tamils had respected India as their neighbour and regarded it as their second home.

A female Tamil Tiger standing in front of a cardboard cutout of a Tamil guerrilla carrying a wounded fighter. (1994)

October 10 is Tamil Eelam Uprising Day. On this day, we remember the thousands of brave Eelam Tamil women who sacrificed their lives and participated in the Tamil Eelam liberation movement. Tamil women played a key role in the armed struggle, from mobilizing the masses to participating directly in the armed resistance against the Sri Lankan state. Due to the conservative nature of Tamil society, women faced oppression not only at the hands of the Sri Lankan and Indian armies but also within their own society because of their gender. They were often expected to do nothing more than work in the kitchen and take care of the children. During their transformation of Tamil society, the LTTE challenged these traditional gender roles. The very act of women cutting their hair short, wearing trousers or khaki uniforms, and carrying guns radically transformed the stereotypical image of the Tamil woman as shy, submissive, and head-down. In the beginning, the LTTE, like many other Tamil militant groups, hesitated to involve women in the armed struggle, partly because of the backlash they might face from a deeply conservative society. Even prominent figures within the Tamil resistance opposed women’s participation. However, Velupillai Prabhakaran recognized not only the oppression women faced but also their courage and determination. He spoke of how Tamil women had protected him and sheltered him in their homes while he was being pursued by the Sri Lankan police. The LTTE produced numerous writings and publications addressing the oppression of Tamil women, describing them as being subjected to a form of subjugation under male chauvinism. The LTTE promoted women’s liberation through education, music, the arts, and magazines. But this transformation was not limited to words. Women took on new responsibilities, supported one another, developed their skills, and challenged the restrictions imposed on them by traditional gender roles. Their participation in education, public life, and the armed struggle reshaped the role of women within Tamil society and challenged long-standing expectations of what a Tamil woman could be. On this day, we remember the courage, sacrifices, and contributions of Eelam Tamil women who played a defining role in the struggle for Tamil Eelam.

The opening of the Bank of Tamil Eelam (தமிழீழ வைப்பகம்) in Jaffna, 23 May 1994.

39 years ago, at 10:48 a.m. on 26 September 1987, Thileepan died during his fast-unto-death protest over the demands of his oppressed nation. His last words were: “Let the Tamil people’s war for independence erupt!” To this day, Thileepan remains an inspiration and also a powerful lesson for Eelam Tamils. An inspiration because, at the young age of 23, when he had everything going for him, he decided to sacrifice his life for his people. The lesson that Eelam Tamils learned that day is that not only is non-violence ineffective against an enemy that is itself not non-violent and is not interested in a non-violent approach, but also that Eelam Tamils have no one but themselves. India, which was considered a big brother that looked after Eelam Tamils and even trained several resistance groups, decided to show its true face by abandoning the Tamils and joining Sri Lanka in the oppression of Tamils.

Rare footage of Lt. Col. Borg during his training and preparation for his Black Tiger attack against a Sri Lankan Army camp. He fell in battle on 23 November 1990.

Progressive Voice | Volume 1, Number 2 ARMY OCCUPATION - POLICE MASSACRE YOUTH : 8 MURDERED - 350 ARRESTED PDF: drive.google.com/file/d/1usB…

PDF: drive.google.com/file/d/1r9E…

Who was Lt. Col. Thileepan, and why is he considered an important figure for the Eelam Tamils?

September is always a special month for the people of Tamil Eelam. It is the month in which Eelam Tamil revolutionary, feminist, and political activist Rasiah Parthipan, also known as Lt. Col. Thileepan, passed away during a hunger strike in support of Tamil rights. When the Indians arrived, tens of thousands of soldiers came in the name of peace with the IPKF. Sooner or later, Eelam Tamils found out that they had not come with the intention of protecting them, but rather to use them as political leverage in negotiations with Sri Lanka. This ranged from the sudden disarming of Tamil guerrillas and attempts to impose a political solution that was rejected by various sections of Sri Lankan society, to occupation, mass killings, disappearances, sexual violence, and other abuses. Thileepan began a hunger strike to appeal to the Indians to protect and safeguard the Tamil people and to remain loyal to the demands they themselves had promised to uphold. His five demands were: All Tamils detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act should be released. The colonisation of Tamil areas by Sinhalese people under the guise of rehabilitation should be stopped. All such rehabilitation activities should be stopped until an interim government is formed. The Sri Lankan government should stop opening new police stations and camps in the North-Eastern Province. The Sri Lankan Army and Police should withdraw from schools in Tamil villages, and the weapons given by the Sri Lankan government to “home guards” should be withdrawn under the supervision of the Indian Army. Thileepan’s fast began on September 15, 1987, and lasted for 11 days. The fast was followed by hundreds of thousands of people across the island, while tens of thousands visited him. Thileepan read extensively and was particularly interested in two liberation struggles: Palestine and Vietnam. He was also involved in mobilising Eelam Tamil women and was a pioneer of what would later become known as the Birds of Freedom. Thileepan died on September 26. According to accounts of his final words, he said: “Let the Tamil war for independence begin.” Thileepan is still starving—not for food or water, but for his people to regain their sovereignty and political rights so that they can live as a people with self-respect. It is up to the Tamils to make this happen. No one else will.