Photograph by Sayan Moorthy
British Tamils gathered at the iconic Church House, Westminster on January 13 to celebrate Thai Pongal and mark January as Tamil Heritage Month.
The night was filled with an array of performances, including Carnatic music, bharathanatyam and folk dances, that showcased the richness of Tamil culture.
Cross party Members of UK Parliament joined the celebrations, with many vowing to continue to push for accountability and justice for Tamils in the North-East.
The first British Tamil MP, Uma Kumaran who represents Stratford and Bow, thanked the Tamil community for the "immense contributions" they have made in healthcare, education, business, arts and politics.
She went on to add that Tamils are thriving in the UK and across the world despite a long history of suffering and pain caused by the state of Sri Lanka.
Kumaran highlighted that Tamils have been deprived of justice as Sri Lanka continues to reject UN mechanisms. She told the audience that as a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, she recently pushed the Foreign Secretary David Lammy on referring Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
During the event, Tamil children and teenagers who participated in the 'Remember our Heroes' poetry competition to mark Maaveerar Naal 2024, were awarded with certificates and a Karthigai flower for their participation.
Photograph by Thavendran Ganeshalingam
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and MP for Ilford North Wes Streeting who was also in attendance, thanked the Tamil community for their cultural and economic contributions to the UK.
He went on to add that Tamils have been determined to deliver on truth, justice and accountability for the Tamil genocide.
"I have tried to use my voice to speak up for truth, justice and reconciliation for all of the people of Sri Lanka," Streeting said.
"Your advocacy, lobbying your representation has kept the issue of human rights in Sri Lanka on the political agenda here in our Parliament but also on the floor of the United Nations Human Rights Council, where many of us on a cross party basis have spoken up for human rights in Sri Lanka - for the accountability for the people responsible for the worst atrocities," he added.
Photograph by Thavendran Ganeshalingam
Iain Duncan Smith, MP for Chingford and Woodford, said the Tamil community is "more than welcome" in the UK because of their "values of hard work and family".
Smith said that as the Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Magnitsky Sanctions:
"We are going to go after those who have terrorised the community, who have carried out foul abuses and murders. We will push the government every single day to impose sanctions on those people so their lives will be lived miserably as a result of what they did."
Photograph by Thavendran Ganeshalingam
Siobhain McDonagh, the Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Tamils and MP for Mitcham and Morden, said that Thai Pongal is a time to celebrate and community but also a time to "reflect on the ongoing struggle for peace and justice in Sri Lanka."
"I will continue to push for Magnitsky style sanctions on those war criminals who still walk free as our allies in the United States and Canada have already done," McDonagh said.
"I will also push the government to ensure that the current trade tariff concessions granted to Sri Lanka are reconsidered based on Sri Lanka's compliance with the Geneva resolution," she added.
Photograph by Thavendran Ganeshalingam
Nigel Huddleston, the Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party expressed his heartfelt wishes for Thai Pongal and added that Tamil Heritage Month is a "wonderful opportunity to celebrate the vibrant Tamil culture, language and traditions that are now an integral part of British life."
He noted that whilst the harvest festival is an opportunity to give thanks, it is also a time to acknowledge the need for justice and reconciliation. "The decades long conflict in Sri Lanka has left a legacy of suffering that cannot be ignored," Huddleston said.
The event was organised by the British Tamil Alliance in partnership with other community organisations and schools.
Tamil Heritage Month was introduced to London in 2021 by the London Assembly and is being marked by boroughs across the UK with significant Tamil communities.
Watch a full recording of the event below.