British Tamil sports teams competed at the 20th annual sports festival on May 29 for trophies in football, volleyball and netball. The event was hosted by the British Tamil Sports League (BTSL), which took it over from the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO). The BTSL , formed in 2004 to manage leagues for Tamil Diaspora football tournaments, now also conducts those for volleyball and netball. The British Tamil Sports Council ( BTSC ), whose chairman presented winners with their prizes at the day’s end, is another. Many of the teams competing trace their heritage, reflected in their names...
Two student societies at St. Georges Medical School of the University of London - the International Tamil Society (ITS) and Amnesty International (AI) - cohosted a bake sale on Monday May 23 to raise awareness of war crimes and rights abuses in Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, and to raise funds for a children's charity and rights advocacy campaigns. Drawing undergraduate and postgraduate students and other visitors, the day-long event was intended to inform future health professionals in Britain and elsewhere on war crimes in Sri Lanka and rights abuses there and in Zimbabwe, organisers said. The...
‘Ilam Kaatru’ (‘Youth Wind’), the Tamil Youth Organisation’s (TYO) annual talent show returned after a two year gap on March 12 to wow the audience with an evening of dance, music and other entertainment. Group and solo performances by youngsters and youth ranging from primary school students to university undergraduates celebrated the Tamil nation and its diverse and evolving cultural heritage. The event at the packed Greenford Town Hall began with the traditional lighting of the lamp, by representatives of the Tamil Chamber of Commerce. The audience and performers then rose in unison to...
With a single, supreme act of sacrifice for his people in February 2009, Murugathasan Varnakulasingham became a revered household name for the Tamils. Outraged by international apathy as tens of thousands of Tamils were being massacred by Sri Lanka’s military, the quietly spoken 26-year-old computing graduate walked up to the United Nations building in Geneva and immolated himself, in a desperate effort to awake the world's conscience. On the second anniversary of the death of Murugathasan Anna, as he is fondly referred to by Tamil activists, memorial events were held in Diaspora locations...
Imperial College London’s Tamil Society staged their annual 'Mega Maalai' entertainment show on January 23 with a blaze of colour, dance and song at the Piccadilly Theatre in the capital’s West End.
London’s Tamil student community held an evening of elegance and fun on Feb 10: a ball. The Valentines Soirée Boat Party was held on the 'Dixie Queen', a stunning replica of a 19th century Mississippi paddleboat and now the largest entertainment boat on the river Thames. Queen Mary's University (QMW) and University College London's (UCL) Tamil Societies jointly hosted the sell-out event. Demand prompted a last minute change to a larger venue, students said. The Dixie Queen can host 500 guests. Embarking at St. Katherine's Pier, Tower Hill, the four hour cruise proved a memorable night for...