Thillainadarajah Jeyakumar passed away in Melbourne, Australia on 29 March 2007. He was 54 years of age. Jeyakumar was a good and honest human. And when we remember and honour Jeyakumar, we also strengthen that which is good and honourable amongst us as a people. Goodness is about helping others and honesty is about matching your word with your deed. Jeyakumar helped many, identified himself with the people to whom he belonged and served them well by always seeking a match between that which he said and that which he did. I myself had known him for more than twenty years and during that period I came to learn something about his steadfast commitment to the struggle for freedom of his people, his soft spoken manner, his iron resolution, his willingness to learn and his tireless endeavour to channel our efforts in a meaningful and productive way. In the early days, it was educative to watch Jeyakumar's relationship with Mamanithar Jeyaratnam Eliezer and his wife Ranee Eliezer. He was treated by them with affection and regarded by them, in many ways, as a member of their family. Jeyakumar once told me that he had gained much from that relationship and interaction. Perhaps, Mamanithar Eliezer also gained much from his interaction with a much younger Tamil with roots in the struggle on the ground. I remember a conversation that I had with Sathasivam Krishnakumar (Kittu) in London in the early 1990s. He said "You know, at the start of our struggle, there were, perhaps, 8 or 10 of us. Today there are thousands. But of the original number, only 3 or 4 of us are alive today. I do not know for how long more, I myself will live. But we are building a road. When we die, others will come to take our place and they will continue with the task of building the road to freedom." A struggle for freedom is no evening tea party. But, a struggle for freedom also produces its heroes and heroines men and women who have displayed strength, ability and courage far beyond the call of duty. Thillainadarajah Jeyakumar will always remain in our memories as one of the heroes of the struggle of his people for freedom. I respectfully salute Jeyakumar's sustained contribution to the cause of his people during these many years - sustained through many trials and tribulations. At the same time, I would like to convey to his wife and family my deep felt condolences at a sudden and tragic loss a wife and family who have always made me feel welcome in their home. It will be presumptuous (and an intrusion) on my part to even begin to comfort them at this time and attempt to assuage their feelings at the loss of a much loved husband and a caring father - feelings about which, those of us who have ourselves undergone similar losses may be able to have some understanding. May I only say that I together with thousands of Tamils living in many lands (including Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, South Africa, Europe and Tamil Eelam) share in their pain, in their loss and in their grief. May God Bless. |
