Residents in Jaffna commemorated Rasaiah Parthipan alias Thileepan of the LTTE this week for the second time since the commencement of the Lt. Colonel Rasaiah Parthipan Memorial Week. Thileepan died in 1987 after engaging in a fast unto death campaign.
On Sunday, September 19, a memorial for Thileepan to mark his 34th death anniversary was held in front of the monument to Thileepan, which was demolished by government security forces in 2010 near the Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil.
According to provincial correspondents, Secretary of the Tamil National People's Front, MP Selvarasa Kajendran, Member of the Nallur Pradeshiya Sabha S. Vasuli and others were present at the event.
The Rasaiah Parthipan Memorial Week began in the North on September 15.
Thileepan began a fast on September 15, 1987 making several demands including the immediate release of political detainees at the police and security headquarters under the PTA, that Sinhala army camps should be removed from the Tamil provinces, rehabilitation work should be suspended until a temporary Tamil government is formed in the Tamil provinces, the resettlement of Sinhalese in Tamil-owned rural areas should be stopped and that the establishment of Sinhala police stations in the Tamil provinces should be stopped.
Thileepan died on September 26, 1987 while fasting in front of the University of Jaffna.
Ban on memorials
A Court in the East recently banned the Rasaiah Parthipan Memorial Week in Batticaloa citing health regulations and criminal law provisions.
This year's commemoration which was scheduled to be held on land in the Kattankudy Police Division in Batticaloa from September 15 to 26 was banned by the Batticaloa Magistrate's Court at the request of the Kattankudy Police.
Acting OIC of the Kattankudy Police T.P Gajanayake had requested the court to issue an order preventing the commemoration, saying that such commemorations could lead to attacks by those opposing it and that it should be banned in accordance with the current Covid-19 health regulations.
The Kattankudy OIC said that the plans to hold the commemoration were uncovered by police intelligence units.
Accordingly, the Batticaloa Magistrate's Court issued an order banning the commemoration of Thileepan to Batticaloa Mayor Theagarajah Saravanabavan, Krishnapillai Seyon, Perimbarasa Jenagan and Kadaharan Nishanthan.
