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.