Tamils - a Nation without a State- Germany

CONTENTS
OF THIS SECTION

European Union & the Struggle for Tamil Eelam - Europï¿½ischer Anschluï¿½ u. der Kampf fï¿½r Tamil Eelam

Tamils in Germany Remember the Massacre of Innocents at Vallipunam - 14 August 2007

தமிழ் ஈழ பெண்கள் எழுச்சி நாள் 2006

Srilankischer Staatsterrorismus
Von Tamilische Frauen Organisation ï¿½ Deutschland
22.Juni 2006

Ein Appell an die Menschlichkeit Der Europï¿½ischen Nationen: An Appeal to the Humanity of Europe - Tamils Women Organisation, Germany, 6 June 2006

Declaration on International Womens Day 2006 - Tamil Women Organization - Germany

About Tamil Language in German

Tamil Youth Organisation, Germany

Tamilpress.com

Organisation for Tamils in Germany

Maha Veerar Naal, Revier Park, Gysenberg, Herne, 27 November 2004

Nagaswaram in Bremen

Sri Kamadchi Ampal Tempel in Hamm/Westfalen

Sri Kamatchi Ampal Temple,
Hamm

A New Voice in European Hinduism "...Since the 1980s, refugees from Sri Lanka have been living in Germany, a high percentage of them being Hindu Tamils. As public religious institutions for Hindus were virtually non-existent when the first of them arrived they had to create possibilities to practice their faith if they wanted to step outside their private homes..."

Martin Baumann - Vows in Diasporic Contexts: Hindu Tamils in Germany Paper presented at the 18th congress of the International Association for the History of Religions, Durban, South Africa, 10.08.2000.

Martin Baumann on "Disputed Space for Beloved Goddesses: Hindu Temples, Conflicts and Religious Pluralism in Germany", Vortrag auf der internationalen Konferenz "The Spiritual Supermarket", London School of Economics, London (U.K.), 19.-22.04.2001.

IITS-Institute for Indology and Tamil Studies - Universitï¿½t zu Kï¿½ln, Institut fï¿½r Indologie und Tamilistik (German Version)

IITS - Institute for Indology and Tamil Studies (English Version)

Tamil Studies in Germany

Mapping the Sri Lankan Diaspora - Keller

German Tamilology "While the other five European powers viz. the Dutch, the Danes, the Portuguese, the French and the English fought with each other and with the local Rajas for political and commercial gains, the Germans, 300 years ago, came to Tamilnadu as Lutheran missionaries because the Lutheran stalwarts in Europe wrongly considered that converting the so-called "barbarous" Tamils would be a comparatively easier task. They discovered, on the other hand, that the "...Malabarians discussed the same philosophical subjects as the Savants of Europe, and that they had a regular written law, wherein all theological subjects were treated of and demonstrated."
The purpose of this site are multi-faceted. One of them is to enlighten the Tamil scholars the world over about the firm Tamilo-German interactions over the past 300 years and also to create research interest for future Tamil-German research studies.."

Thainilam

Tamil Kudil - Dr.N.Kannan, Kiel

Thendral World Radio, Germany

German Tamil Radio

Thumi.com

Kampagne fur Menschenrechte in Sri Lanka und Tamil Eelam

German Tamil

Tamileu

Tamils - a Nation without a State
Tamil-Diaspora - eine Transport Zustand-Nation

Germany - ஜெர்மனி
- an estimated 50,000 Tamils live in Germany -

Pongu Thamizh Rally in Dusseldorf - June 2008

more...

Tamils in Germany demonstrate in support of Struggle for Tamil Eelam, 29 May 2006

[see also Tamils demonstrate in Australia, Canada, France,
Switzerland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Italy, United Kingdom, South Africa]

Around five thousand German Tamils rallied at the grounds opposite the Railway Station in Dï¿½sseldorf Monday, 29 May 2006 at 11:45 a.m., and marched via the offices of Canadian Embassy, British Embassy and the European Union, and reached the Dï¿½sseldorf parliament around 12:50. Appeals were handed over to the embassy officials and to the officials at the Parliament. The demonstrators braved the rainy weather and shouted slogans in both Deutsch and Tamil condemning the violence perpetrated on Tamil civilians by the Government of Sri Lanka's security forces.Mr Nagalingam lit the common flame and Mr Suriyakumar, husband of "patriot" Ms Kalanayagi, hoisted the Tamil Eelam flag to start the main protest event near the parliament premises.Mr. Baskaran, Rev. Albert Koln, Mr. Sreeraveendranathan and a student representative, Suthaharan, spoke to the large gathering, sources in Dusseldorf said.

மனஓசை -
Chandravathanaa Selvakumaran, Germany - "நான் எல்லோரும் போல சாதாரணமானவள்தான்.
பருத்தித்துறையில் ஆத்தியடி என் பிறப்பிடம். எண்மரில் நான் இரண்டாவது. பெண்களுள் மூத்தவள்..."

என் இனமே...! என் சனமே...!
[courtesy http://padalkal.blogspot.com/ ]

என் இனமே...! என் சனமே...!
என்னை உனக்குத் தெரிகிறதா?
எனது குரல் புரிகிறதா?

என் இனமே...! என் சனமே...!

மண்ணை இன்னும் நேசிப்பவன்
அதற்காய் மரணத்தையே வாசிப்பவன்

என் இனமே என் சனமே
என்னை உனக்குத் தெரிகின்றதா
எனது குரல் புரிகிறதா

என் இனமே...! என் சனமே...!

அன்னை தந்தை எனக்குமுண்டு
அன்பு செய்ய உறவும் உண்டு
என்னை நம்பி உயிர்கள் உண்டு
ஏக்கம் நெஞ்சில் நிறைய உண்டு

என் இனமே என் சனமே
என்னை உனக்குத் தெரிகின்றதா
எனது குரல் புரிகிறதா
மண்ணை இன்னும் நேசிப்பவன்
அதற்காய் மரணத்தையே யாசிப்பவன்

என் இனமே...! என் சனமே...!

பாசறை நான் புகுந்த இடம்
பதுங்கு குழி உறங்குமிடம்
தேசநலன் எனது கடன்
தேன்தமிழே எனது திடல்

மண்ணை இன்னும் நேசிப்பவன்
அதற்காய் மரணத்தையே வாசிப்பவன்

என் இனமே என் சனமே
என்னை உனக்குத் தெரிகின்றதா
எனது குரல் புரிகிறதா
அதனால் மண்ணை இன்னும் நேசிப்பவன்
அதற்காய் மரணத்தையே யாசிப்பவன்

என் இனமே...! என் சனமே...!

என் முடிவில் விடிவிருக்கும்
எதிரிகளின் அழிவிருக்கும்
சந்ததிகள் சிரித்து நிற்க
சரித்திரத்தில் நிறைந்திருப்பேன்

அதனால் மண்ணை இன்னும் நேசிப்பவன்
அதற்காய் மரணத்தையே வாசிப்பவன்

என் இனமே என் சனமே
என்னை உனக்குத் தெரிகின்றதா
எனது குரல் புரிகிறதா
அதனால் மண்ணை இன்னும் நேசிப்பவன்
அதற்காய் மரணத்தையே யாசிப்பவன்

என் இனமே...! என் சனமே...!

LTTE leader felicitates expatriate language activist Tamil Eelam Leader, Mr. V. Pirapaharan, honours 77 year old Mr. Ira. Nagalingam from Germany for his contribution to Tamil language and cultural education among children in the Tamil diaspora in Germany., October 2004

"Mr. Nagalingam established a Tamil education facility on his own initiative in the city of Hagen in Germany back in 1986 with 10 pupils. Later, the efforts in German diaspora resulted in 13 different education facilities across Germany as early as 1989.

Mr. Nagalingam organised the first ever common examinations for the Tamil education facilities in Germany in 1989. The same year Mr. Nagalingam was appointed as the head of Tamil language services for Germany by the LTTE's German branch.

Since 1990, Mr. Nagalingam has contributed to coordinating different Tamil language and cultural education facilities and merging them into Thamilalayam (Tamil Temple) schools and has worked hard to establish coordinated Tamil education across Germany and Europe among the Tamil diaspora.

There are 123 Thamilalayam education centres across Germany today with 6000 pupils and 650 teachers. There are around 350 staff administrating the schools.

Mr. Nagalingam hails from Vasavilan, Valigamam in Jaffna and is a trained teacher from Kolumbuthruai Teachers Training School. He taught in Matale Peradeniya, Hatton and finally in Urumpirai before emigrating to Germany in 1979.

Mr. Nagalingam is a Drama artist having staged many dramas in Sri Lanka. He was selected as best drama actor in a contest among teachers' training colleges. He has earlier been honoured with the titles "Father of Thamilalayams" and "Savior of Tamil language" in Germany.

Sri Kamadchi Ampal temple in Hamm, Germany

Ganesha in Deutschland

Sri Lankan Tamils Complete New Temple with German Efficiency

On June 10-12, 1994, sixteen Sri Lankan Sivacharyas performed the elaborate kumbhabishekam rituals to install Lord Ganesha in the recently completed Siddhi Vinayaga temple in Hamm, Germany. Devotees attending reported a powerful presence of Ganesha, saying that it was as if they were at the Kumbalavalai temple in Jaffna, (Tamil Eelam) which many used to visit before their exodus from war-ravaged Sri Lanka. The Tamil community in Germany is estimated at 35,000, mostly refugees.

The temple was started in the summer of 1993 when Gurudeva, Sivaya Subramuniyaswami gave the first DM50 (US$31) and his blessings to build a temple for God Ganesha in Hamm. Since that time, a group of fifty families provided the hard work, but they feel it was the God Himself who made it all happen so quickly. In one year, US$62,500 were raised. The work was begun in January, 1994, and completed in less than six months. Many youth volunteered to help in the renovation of the temple building. A gift from Kauai Aadheenam was a three-foot tall, 1,100-pound Siddhi Vinayaga murthi-so far the largest Ganesha murthi in Europe-exquisitly carved in Mahabalipuram, South India. It arrived in Hamburg Harbor on March 1st and was ceremoniously paraded to Hamm. In appreciation, the devotees brought their Satguru, Subramuniyaswami, from Hawaii to attend the temple consecration as the guest of honor.

The temple is within an old metal-working warehouse of 2,500 sq. feet. It was designed as a small replica of the famed Nallur temple, near Jaffna. Also housed in the temple are shrines to Lord Muruga, Durga, Siva-Parvati, Bhairava and the navagraha. This temple is the newest of ten Hindu temples in Germany.

On May 13-25, 1994, another temple in Hamm, the Sri Kamadchi Ambal temple, held its yearly 10-day festival, complete with a parade through the streets of Hamm. According to Jnana Deepam, a Tamil newspaper printed in Germany, 7,000 devotees participated. Though the organizers started without a parade permit, the understanding Hamm police force quickly redirected traffic from the parade route.

Subramuniyaswami, the initiated successor of Sage Yogaswami...., visited the Hamm Hindu community exactly one-year ago. He told Hinduism Today... that the youth are being well-trained in their religion and culture at home and in weekend schools held in rented halls, using texts from Sri Lanka. They even wear their Saiva vibhuti and tilaka, sacred marks on the forehead, to school each day. Some of the German children also wanted a tilaka, so they made their own by putting three lines of chalk on their forehead!

The community produces three Tamil newspapers, one of which is printed in Germany and France. They own television stations which air Tamil programs, and their latest innovation is World Tamil Television, Berlin, which is set up for satelite broadcast.

All the temples in Germany, even the smaller ones, have two or three full-time, full-fledged Sivacharya priests. Thus, as the strife in Sri Lanka continues, the religious striving of Sri Lankan Tamils seems to be intensifying.

Address: Sri Sithivinayagar Tempel Hamm e.V., Ferdinand Poggel Str. 25, 59065 Hamm, Germany. Courtesy Hinduism Today, August 1994

Nagaswaram on the streets of Bremen, Germany