Tamils across the North-East commemorated Annai Poopathy on Friday to mark 36 years since she fast unto death in protest of the atrocities committed by the Indian Peace Keeping Forces (IPKF).
As a member of the Navatkerny Mother's Front, Poopathy Kanapathipillai, from Batticaloa, commenced a hunger strike on 19 March 1988 to protest the injustices and atrocities committed by the IPKF.
She had called for an immediate ceasefire and peace talks between the IPKF and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
On 19 April, after a month of abstaining from food, Annai Poopathy's fast ended with her death.
Tamils in Vavuniya, particularly the Tamil family members of the forcibly disappeared gathered in numbers to pay their respects and offer floral tributes to Annai Poopathy.
The memorial coincided with a protest rally that the Tamil families of the disappeared were holding as they continued to call on the Sri Lankan government to hold those accountable.
In Nallur, Jaffna, Tamils similarly gathered to remember Annai Poopathy's sacrifice.
They made speeches in her honour and members of the public were invited to lay floral tributes in her memory.
An event was held at the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) office in Kilinochchi office.
Several members of the party joined in the event, taking turns to reflect on Annai Poopathy's life and relevance of her struggle to the day to day challenges faced by Tamils.
ITAK's leader, Sivagnanam Shritharan, attended the memorial to pay his respects.
(tamilguardian.com)
