Tamilalayam (Tamil School) Neuss celebrated their 22nd anniversary on the 15th October 2011, at Quirinus Grammar School in Neuss, Germany. The event, celebrating the existence of the Tamil school since 1989, included dancing, music, drama and speeches from students. The anniversary started with the traditional lighting of a flame by R. Nagalingam, the coordinator of the “Tamilische Bildungsvereinigung e.V.”, a Tamil education association, including 134 Tamil Schools in Germany. The first Tamil school in Germany was founded by R. Nagalingam and the coordinator of Tamilalayam Neuss K...
Aadukalam 2011, an international dance competition hosted by the Tamil Youth Network in Munich, Germany on October 22 drew spectacular performances from Diaspora teams vying for the top prize. Staged in the Theater Leo 17, one of the city’s most prestigious venues, the event was organised by the Global Tamil Youth League, and had as its theme, ‘In pursuit of Global Peace’. The competition was won by a British team which also won best prize for technical execution, while teams from Switzerland and Canada won prizes for choreography and costume. Canadian entrants, the ‘Huskies’, won second...
Hundreds of Australian Tamils joined others protesting outside the Commonwealth summit in Perth on Friday. See TamilNet 's report on the Perth protests here . Also, see the Daily Mail ’s report, with several photographs, on the Commonwealth summit, and the protests outside, here .
Kilithattu - the national game of Tamil Eelam - has captured the imagination of the next generation of Eelam Tamils across the world. The game, originating from the agricultural roots of Eelam Tamils, has long been celebrated as a test of strategic thinking and physical agility. In braod terms two teams, starting from opposite ends of a marked area, take turns to attempt to cross over to the opposite side and back without being caught by their opponents. Having inspired the Tamil youth in Canada who are proud to view the game as part of their Eelam identity, TYO-Canada held a hugely...
The Danish-Tamil Youth Organisation, Thisaigal, hosted a higher education fair on 25th September, 2011 in Grindsted, Denmark. According to Thisaigal members, the event was organised in order to provide guidance and support to Tamil children and their parents of Denmark's educational opportunities for school children and the choices available. Current students within higher education from a wide variety of subjects, volunteered to do short presentations detailing their course and future propects in that particular field. Stalls, representing individual subjects, were also set up, allowing...
On Sunday October the 16th, British Tamils commemorated the twenty-fourth death anniversary of Lt. Colonel Pulendran and Lt. Colonel Kumarappa, as well as ten other cadres in Merton, South London. The event saw around 200 people gather to pay their respects and was marked with music and speeches from members of the community. Lt. Colonel Pulendran and Lt. Colonel Kumarappa swallowed cyanide and committed suicide after being arrested by the Indian Peace Keeping Force and were in the process of being taken to Colombo for interrogation. The incident occurred within two months of the IPKF...
Dartford Tamil Knowledge Centre held their first Sarasvathi poosai (prayer service) on 8th October 2011 at the Holy Trinity Primary School, Dartford. The event, dedicated to Sarasvathi, the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music and art, included dancing, music and speeches from students of all ages. After initial prayers, with prayers, infants and young children were taught to write the Tamil alphabet in rice, a ritual called Edu Thoddakal, followed by many in Tamil Eelam. It is believed to bless the beginning of a child’s education. Following the religious observations, the evening’s...
Raadan Media and Sun TV presented its much anticipated “Vannakam London” at Wembley Arena on Sunday 25th September. Over 5,000 people from all over the U.K came together to be entertained by various artists from Tamil Nadu and the Tamil diaspora. Artists include Sarathkumar, Raadika, Simbhu, Shreya, Arya and Sneha as well as MC Sai, a young, British Tamil rapper from London. The evening started off with the actor Sarathkumar recognising the Eela Tamils in the audience, applauding them for their unceasing determination to gain their rightful land. He delivered a message of hope, encouraging...
With the 2011 Ontario general elections set to take place this week, the Canadian Tamil community looks set to hold considerable sway on the outcome, as candidates are in the height of campaigning for their votes. The elections, set to take place on Thursday the 6th of October, have given the Tamil community the opportunity to make their voice heard and it seems that the candidates have sat up and listened. See report from Digital Journal here . After the Canadian government’s lack of criticism of Sri Lanka’s war on the Vanni in 2009 and allegations of human rights violations and war crimes, there was considerable frustration from the Tamil community. “It was devastating. They weren’t saying anything,” said 21-year old Aranee Muru a university student who had to take a year out because of the protests. “Democracy needs to speak louder.” More than 2 years on however, all the major parties have come forward vying for Tamil votes.
Eelam Tamils across the world came together this weekend to remember Thileepan and his sacrifice. September 26 marked the anniversary of the death of LTTE Lt. Col. Thileepan in 1987 during his hungerstrike appealing for the Indian government of Premier Rajiv Gandhi to honour the security undertakings it gave to the Tamil people alongside its 1987 Accord with Sri Lanka.