Tamil New Year message - 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
I would like to offer my warmest greetings and wishes to all my brothers and sisters on the Tamil New Year Day, April 14.
This date and calendar remind us of the age-old Tamil heritage. It has been a free gift of the Divine that we are born as Tamils in a particular area of this world and are blessed with the distinct heritage of nature, language, culture, etc. It is the first gift of the Divine even before we belong to a particular religion.
Celebrating a Tamil New Year means acknowledging with gratitude and joy all that is Tamil in us. In short it is a celebration of the Tamilness in all of us. We can learn many languages and appreciate many cultures, music and drama. But we must never depreciate our own. Mahathma Gandhi wrote:“All cultures of the world are welcome into my home. But no culture will be strong enough to uproot me from my own!”
These celebrations afford us the opportunity to reflect upon not only our rich cultural traditions, but also the current plight of loved ones in Sri Lanka and our hopes for the future of the Tamil people on the island.
The post-Mullivaikaal effort of the Sri Lankan Government in state-aided colonization, militarization and Buddhistisation of the Northeast is a threat to our nature and homeland. In addition, human rights violations through killings, disappearances and media-throttling continue.
Still we cannot afford to give up hope on the triumph of Truth and Justice. While we anxiously wait for the decision of the UN Secretary General on the report of the Panel of Experts, let us vow to do all that we can to arrest the nefarious and criminal activities of the Government against our Tamilness.
The work of Global Tamil Forum and our important affiliate country organisations around the world is having a meaningful impact on elevating Tamil issues higher on the political agenda. I wish many more join us and support us in our efforts.
I wish you all a happy New Year.
Yours,
Rev. Dr S.J. Emmanuel
President
Global Tamil Forum