Coordinators
Prof. V. Arasu, Department of Tamil
Literature, University of Madras
Kannan. M, Department of Indology,
French Institute of Pondicherry
About the Conference
" Today Tamil is classical,
contemporary and is spread worldwide. Through
migrations spanning a few centuries - of slaves,
labour, kings, professionals and refugees, Tamil is
prevalent in many parts of the present day world.
Some diasporic communities, without language but with
traces of culture search desperately for their roots
(Reunion, Mauritius, South Africa, West Indies etc.)
while others, retaining the language and culture try to
carve a unique identity for themselves in the place
where they live. (Malaysia and Singapore).
We also have those who try hard to retain a certain
"idea" of their culture despite being totally
cosmopolitan in their day to day lives (Tamils of North
America). Some others, burdened and branded by their
language and culture fight for a cause, for their
homeland or try to escape from it (Tamilians of Sri
Lanka). More importantly, how could we afford to forget
history - the diasporic experiences, recorded (in the
inscriptions) in many parts of the world?
Together these diverse experiences have done their best
to make Tamil global and to find a place for it in the
world republic of letters.
Such engagements manifest multiple dimensions in
relating to the so-called center of Tamil Culture - the
state of Tamil Nadu, in India.
The proposed International Conference organized by the
Department of Indology, French Institute of Pondicherry
and the Department of Tamil Literature, University of
Madras will engage with such dimensions - to explore
and understand the issues and problems of the 'Tamil
Experience in Other Spaces'."
Conference Presentations [also
in PDF]
Prof. Francois Gros, EPHE, Paris "Tamil
Diaspora - An Academic Perspective"
Prof. P. Shanmugam "Migrations of
Tamils in early and medieval periods"
Prof. M. A. Kalam "Where were Diaspora
till 1990s?"
Prof. Knut Axel Jacobsen "Ritualization
in the Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora in Norway"
Dr. Brigitte Sebastia
"Ārōkkiya Mātā of Velankanni in
France Competition and expression of Tamil identity in
the Catholic activities of the Franco- Pondicherrian
community"
Prof. Christian Barat "Tamil Culture in
Reunion Islands" Dr. Florence Callandre "La
confrontation de la créolisation et de la
tamoulisation dans les mondes malbar de La Réunion
et des Seychelles"
Dr. Gaëlle Dequirez "Sri Lankan
Tamils in France: the role of businesses and
associations"
Dr. Anthony Goreau "The diasporisation:
a tool for understanding the different Tamil historical
trajectories"
Mr. Sugumaran "State of Refugees in
Tamil Nadu - A Report "
Prof. A. Marx "Refugees, Law and Tamil
Politics"
Documentary Film on Poet Vilva Rathinam
Dr. Mounaguru "Theatre of the Tamil Diaspora"
Dr. Mangai "Diasporic Existence and
Theatre"
Dr. Chitralakha Mounaguru "Identity in
Diaspora - a search through Eelam Tamil Literature"
Dr. Ko. Palani "Theatre activities of
Tamil Diaspora"
Ms. Uma Sankari "Miles apart - yet
together - Net as a link between widespread
Diaspora"
Dr. Ra. Srinivasan "Internet based
activities of Tamil Diaspora"
Mr. Rajesh "Reading Tamil Diasporic
Aspirations from Homeland: A Study of Few Tamil
Diasporic Websites"
Dr. V. Arasu "Towards a discussion: The
need to construct a curriculum incorporating writings
from Tamil Diaspora"
Dr. A. Ekambaram "Novel im by Shobha
Shakti and Violence against Tamil people"
Dr. Y. Manikandan "Poetry of the
displaced"
Dr. Va. Mu. Se. Andavar "Reflections:
Tamil Short Stories from Malaysia"
Dr. Se. Yogaraja "The State of Women in
Tamil Diaspora - a view through Literature" Ms. V.
Geetha "Young women's perceptions of being Tamil - an
account of Interactions"
Documentary Films on Theatre
Dr. Zainab Basheer "Being Tamil in
Canada"
Dr. Preetha Mani "Being in Tamil in
United States"
Note on Participants:
1. .
2.
3. Prof. Knut Axel Jacobsen, Dept. of the History of
Religions, University of
Bergen, Norway
4. Prof. M. A. Kalam, Dept. of Anthropology, University
of Madras, Chennai.
5. Prof. Christian Barat, Director, Dept. Language and
Civilizations of the
Indian Ocean, University of Reunion, Reunion.
6. Dr. Florence Callandre, University of Reunion,
Reunion.
7. Dr. Elisabeth Sethupathy, Head, Tamil Section,
Department of South Asia,
INALCO, Paris
8. Dr. Gaëlle Dequirez, INALCO, Paris
9. Mr. Sugumaran, Human Rights Federation,
Pondicherry.
10. Prof. A. Marx, Presidency College, Chennai.
11. Prof. Mounaguru, Dept of Fine Arts, Eastern
University, Batticola, Srilanka
12. Dr. Mangai, Dept. of English, Stella Maris College,
Chennai.
13. Dr. Chitralakha Mounaguru, Dean, Dept of Languages,
Eastern University,
Batticola, Srilanka.
14. Dr. Ko. Palani, Dept. of Tamil Literature,
University of Madras, Chennai.
15. Ms. Uma Sankari, Sub-Editor, Thenseide,
Chennai.
16. Dr. Ra. Srinivasan, Presidency College,
Chennai.
17. Mr. Rajesh, Dept. of Humanities, IIT, Chennai
18. Prof. V. Arasu, Head, Dept. of Tamil Literature,
University of Madras,
Chennai.
19. Dr. A. Ekambaram, Dept. of Tamil Literature,
University of Madras,
Chennai.
20. Dr. Y. Manikandan, Dept. of Tamil Literature,
University of Madras,
Chennai.
21. Dr. Va. Mu. Se. Andavar, Pacchaiappar College,
Chennai.
22. Ms. V. Geetha, Editor, Tara Publishing,
Chennai.
23. Dr. Zainab Basheer, University of Toronto, Toronto.
Canada.
24. Dr. Preetha Mani, Dept. of South and Southeast
Asian Studies, University of
California, Berkeley.
25. Dr. Brigitte Sebastia, IFP, Pondicherry.
26. Dr. Yogaraja, Dept of Fine Arts, Eastern
University, Batticola, Srilanka
27. Mr. Anthony Goreau, University of Bordeaux III,
Bordeaux, France.
