The fifth day of Lt. Col. Thileepan's hunger strike was commemorated in Nallur, Jaffna, this morning.
Thileepan started his hunger strike on 11th September 1987, to call on the Indian government to deliver on its pledges to the Tamil people. After refusing food and water for 11 days, Thileepan passed away.
A memorial was erected in Nallur a year after his death but it was destroyed by the Sri Lankan army when they captured Jaffna in 1996.
The memorial was reconstructed during the ceasefire but was destroyed gain in 2007. The remnants of the tower were once again demolished further in 2012.
Each year, Tamils gather at the memorial to remember Thileepan and his sacrifice. Tamils have been paying their respects at the memorial since September 11 to mark each day of Thileepan's hunger strike.
