Tamils - a Nation without a State
The Tamil Diaspora
V.Sivasupramaniam,
[In the preparation of this article, I am greatly indebted to
www.tamilnation.org
for all the valuable information obtained]
(published in
Sangam.org
and also at
Murugan.Org)
7 October 2004
Diaspora comes from the Greek word �diaspeirein� to mean disperse
or scatter. Diaspora is the dispersal or the scattering of persons
with a common identity such as culture and language in different
directions. Diaspora transcends all its variations. The diaspora
maintains and nurtures their civilisational and cultural
distinctiveness and their aspirations to link their country of
origin with the diaspora world-wide, making it a global unity with a
global identity. The dispersal of persons and communities is an
age-old happening, but the phrase �diaspora� is of current usage.
The Jewish, Indian and Chinese Diasporas are some of the vibrant
ones with a global presence. This scattering, which started with
trade in the age-old day, changed into contract and indentured
labour migrations during the early colonial days, specially after
the abolition of slavery in 1834. Later, it was the professionals in
search of greener pastures and finally refugees and asylum seekers
due to political and social pressures in different countries. This
phenomenon, which continued over centuries on a small scale, has of
late resulted in mass migration with a common identity on a global
level.
The dispersal of Tamils around the globe
is not of recent origin and at the moment there are seventy
million of them spread in over fifty countries of the world. The
Tamil diaspora is a
growing togetherness of more than seventy million people living
in many lands and across distant seas, many thousands as refugees
and asylum seekers. It is a togetherness rooted in
an ancient heritage, a
rich language
and literature, and a
vibrant culture. But it is a togetherness which is not simply a
function of the past. It is a growing togetherness
consolidated by
struggle and suffering and given purpose and direction by the
aspirations of a people for the future � a future where they and
their children and their childrens� children may live in equality
and freedom in an
emerging one world. [note by
tamilnation.org
- please see Mission
Statement]
The diaspora's passion for and the love of their language and
culture, which has a cherished heritage, is what binds the Tamil
diaspora worldwide and their coherence and unity is fast growing to
be recognized as an international force. According to Father Heras,
"Tamil is the oldest of the present languages." Tamil, one of the
powerful Dravidian languages, is perhaps the only example of an
ancient language which has survived as a spoken language for more
than 2500 years with its basic structure almost unchanged. The name
Tamil is itself unique, meaning "sweetness" and "coolness".
Language and culture are two facets of the same identity,
and language is a major cultural element. Culture is everything
which is socially learned and shared by members of a society; it is
an organized system of behaviour and said to be normative because it
defines standards of conduct. According to Edward Burnett Tylor, an
Anthropologist, "it is that complex whole which includes knowledge,
belief, art, morals, customs and any other capabilities acquired by
man as a member of a society."
Isolated diaspora communities
often preserve their cultural heritage much more than their brethren
in their homeland. "Jaffna Tamils preserve a dialect of Tamil that
is in many respects closer to classical Tamil," so says Patrick
Harrigan in the April 2001 souvenir issue of the Mauritius
International Murugan conference. Each Tamil diaspora community has
had to wage its own unique struggle over generations to achieve
economic prosperity while yet preserving its Tamil identity and
ancestral traditions. Each has its own stories of how they overcame
obstacles peculiar to their adopted homeland. Despite their relative
isolation from their homeland they have preserved and nurtured Hindu
religious traditions such as Kavadi and other cultural elements to
posterity.
Today, the
digital
revolution is not only accelerating the process of globalization,
but also strengthening the bonds of the diaspora, forging a new
cultural, economic and political togetherness of a people and deep
rooted kinship ties and finding fresh avenues for expression. To
quote
Piet Baker
in "Remembering Roots" (1999), the "Internet made it possible for
members of diasporic groups to communicate regardless of time and
distance. Their homeland, their national identity, and the ethnic,
social, cultural and political meanings of this identity are the
most covered topics in these online meeting places."
The dual
orientation towards both the country of origin and the country of
resettlement is not as contradictory and paradoxical as it seems. In
fact, some people with homes in two countries are showing an amazing
capacity to maintain dual identities � with strong cultural ties and
contributions to both places.
The early settlement patterns
of the Tamils could be traced to the sugar cane plantations of
Mauritius, Reunion in the Indian Ocean; Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago
in the Caribbean; Guyana and Suriname in South America; plantations
in South Africa; Rubber estates and the Railways in the Federated
Malay States � FMS � (Malaysia); Coffee and Tea estates in Ceylon
(Sri Lanka); and to coal mines of New Caledonia off Australia in the
Pacific Ocean. The Manimekalai cult and the Perumpannan Kovil in
Indonesia, the Thiruvempavai festival in Thailand, and
Karraikalamman Kovil in Kampuchea are valid traces of early Tamil
settlements far and wide in the world.
Britain with 300,000 or more, the USA with well over 300,000,
Canada with over 300,000 and Australia with over 30,000 are some of
the developed countries where the Tamil diaspora is well settled,
having gone on voluntary migration from Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. It
is also estimated that there are more than 250,000 Tamils from Sri
Lanka which comprises voluntary migrants and refugees/asylum
seekers. Their sense of belonging and togetherness has resulted in
the flowering of multi-faceted cultural, religious and media growth
to such an extent as to excel these activities in the lands of their
origin. It is estimated that as base habitation India has almost
61,000,000 and Sri Lanka has 5,000,000 Tamils.
Tamils in
South East Asia
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, south of Bay of Bengal in the
Indian Ocean has over 40,000 Tamils, the second largest ethnic group
and over 6,000 Tamil children are in 33 Tamil schools.
Indonesia had
50,000 Tamils at a point of time and they were taken there by the
Dutch colonial masters in the 1830s to build up their plantations.
They were used as hard labour and, as the conditions were not
conducive, many returned in the 1940s. About 2,000 to 10,000
remained in Northern Sumatra and there was a concentration of Tamils
in that region. Most of them were Hindus but there were Christians
and Muslims, too.
Singapore has
about 200,000 Tamils who constitute the third main cultural group.
Tamil as a mother tongue for Tamil children is taught from primary
to the pre-University level and 18,000 learn Tamil from the
kindergarten to the Junior college level. Numerous temples are
spread over in this small and diverse immigrant city state and Tamil
cultural activities take place with deep involvement on an
international spread. The Tamil electronic and the print media is
vibrant with a global presence and audience. The Tamil community is
fortunate, as it is resources rich in terms of knowledge,
technology, culture and creativity which are critical success
factors in today's world.
Malaysia has a
1,060,000 Tamil population starting mainly from 1901 when it was
called the Federated Malay States (FMS). Initially the migration was
to work in the rubber plantations, but later turned to trade and
other professions mostly in the government sector such as the
railways and the PWD. The first Tamil school was there as early as
1876, but by 1925 the number rose to 235 and by 1999 they had 548
schools. The Chettiar community from Chettinadu were there mainly as
moneylenders and wholesalers. The Tamil electronic media is having
round the clock service and the print media is also very vibrant.
The festivals at Battu Caves, especially the Kavadi festival, is one
of the biggest Hindu festivals on a national scale that rallies
round the Tamils from far and wide.
Myanmar (Burma) had a
Tamil population of 200,000 at one time, but since the end of the
Second World War the number has been reduced. The affluence of the
Tamil community could be gauged by the existence of Dandayuthapani
temples in 32 towns, the functioning of 50 Tamil primary schools,
and the circulation of two Tamil newspapers "Rasika Ranjani" and
"Thondan," both of which were banned from 1966. Nattukottai
Chettiars were in the business and the export trade was monopolized
by them. The University of Culture in Yangon (Rangoon) is promoting
Tamil culture.
Vietnam has a small minority of about 3,000
Tamils mostly in Ho Chi Minh city. The city boasts a Dandayuthapani
temple.
Cambodia has 1,000 Tamils, China 5,000 and Thailand 10,000.
Tamils in Africa
Mauritius has a
Tamil population of 115,000, the larger bulk from the southern state
of Tamil Nadu who arrived there since 1727 to work in the sugar cane
plantations. The Commission of Enquiry of 1845 commented that the
Tamils were the best workers. In 1847 a Tamil syllabus was drawn up
for examination for Tamil children with greater emphasis on Tamil
grammar and Nanool. There are more than 250 temples, Muruga cult is
very popular, the traditional Tamil New Year, Pongal, fire-walking
and Kavadi being celebrated on a national level. Thiruvalluvar and
Bharathi days are celebrated while Deepavali, Thaipoosam,
Sivarathiri and Pongal are public holidays. Since 1727 Tamils alone
have built almost 125 Tamil temples. Sinnathambou, a Tamil, built
the first temple decades ago and even now that temple is known by
that name. Years ago, when a petition was presented to the
Government by one Rasaretinam Moodaliyar, it was in Tamil and
English and the Tamils were in the forefront of the agitation for
their rights.
When Mahatma Gandhi visited Mauritius in 1901, he profusely
congratulated the Tamils for fighting for justice. Tamil cultural
links are well preserved by staging plays such as Harichandra,
Nala-Dhamayanti, Savitiri-Satyavan, Nanthanar, Nallathangal, and
Bharathiyar from time to time. There are about 100 primary schools
teaching Tamil and the Tamils there take all efforts to consolidate
their religion and other Hindu practices. Prayers in Tamil and the
singing of Thevarams and Thiruvasagam are being done well now after
the arrival of Brahmin priests from Jaffna in Sri Lanka. In 1948
Ranganathan Sreenivasan was the first Tamil to be elected to the
Legislative Council, A.V.Chettiar was the Vice-President of the
country for a long time and Arumoogam Parasuramen was a popular
Minister of Education and Science for a long time (now with UNESCO)
� all have their roots in Tamil Nadu.
Many Tamil words are in use with the local Creole language like
pudol as pathol, pakku as pak, pittu as pubtu, karuveppillai as
karupilay, kottamali as kotomili and murunkay as moorroung. Even
currency notes issued by the Central Bank bear the name in Tamil.
Mauritius was the venue in the 1960s for the International Tamil
Research Conference under the guidance of the respected
Tamil scholar Father Thaninayagam Adigalar. The second
International Murugan Conference hosted by the island nation is a
fitting tribute not only to the Tamils of Mauritius who have
resolutely answered the call of the heart during long decades of
separation from their motherland, but to the entire diaspora
throughout the Indian Ocean region and beyond.
Reunion is an Indian
Ocean island being run as a French Department. Tamil settlements
started as far back as 1848 as indentured labour, mainly from
Pondicherry and Karaikal, the French territories in Southern India.
There are about 120,000 Tamils with a large number of Hindu temples
run by voluntary organizations where Hindu and Tamil cultural links
are preserved well. Tamil is an optional language for children. The
Murugan cult, Kavadi festival and fire walking are widespread
traditional links. The adherence to these practices of religion and
culture has kept the Tamils strong and united. The Tamil diaspora
should congratulate the Tamil Sangam of Reunion for arranging to
host an International Tamil Conference jointly with the Municipality
of St Andre during the 2004 Deepavali festival.
Seychelles a group
of islands in the Indian Ocean, has a Tamil history of about 230
years. A shipload of migrants landed here in 1770, composed of
diverse ethnicity, out of whom five were Tamils from
Mauritius/Reunion. Tamil traders from Pondicherry used to visit for
purposes of timber trade followed by settlements of Tamils from
Tamil Nadu for trading purposes. Later, a trading community was in
place here, mainly of Tamils, and many of them got integrated with
the local community. Now there about 4000 Tamils in trading as well
as in the professions. The organization of the Seychelles Hindu
Kovil Sangam in 1984 and the building of the first and only
Navasakthi Vinayagar temple brought together all the Tamils to
further consolidate and nurture their cultural and religious links.
The annual Kavadi festival is a major event which is a government
holiday for all Hindus. Cultural troupes are invited from time to
time to enhance cultural values and links. The organization of the
Seychelles Hindu Council, celebration of Deepavali festival on a
national scale and the setting up of a crematorium with government
support are events worthy of note. The Tamil Cultural Development
centre conducting Tamil classes with the support of the Indian High
Commission, the Seychelles Tamil Manram with its periodical
publication of the Tamil Murasu and contributions and advertisements
in Tamil in the national daily are factors contributing to keep the
language and culture alive in this country.
South Africa:
Tamil migration started from 1860, first as indentured labour and in
the first batch 340 Tamils were there. Now there are more than
250,000 Tamils spread over many cities, the concentration being in
Natal and Durban. The 140 years of residence has given them a
valuable sense of identity and solidarity and the Tamil heritage has
been an inspirational and healing factor during the turbulent
periods that they have undergone. Now, there is a sort of Tamil
renaissance and the Tamils there take great pride in their age-old
traditions. Tamil cultural organizations help a lot to recover the
beauty of their language and culture.
The Kavadi festival, Tamil dramas and the Hindu festivals have
promoted Tamil oneness. During the period 1900 to 1949 many temples
were built and the rich traditions are well nourished by Brahmin
priests from Sri Lanka. Mahatma Gandhi, in all his struggles for
justice and fair play, had his greatest inspiration from the Tamil
community, so much so, that he made a special effort to study Tamil
to express his gratitude to them in their mother tongue. It is
appropriate to recall that a young Tamil girl of 18 � Thillaiadi
Valliammai � was a pioneer in her support to Mahatma, was imprisoned
and is commemorated well now in Tamil Nadu and South Africa. It is
interesting to note that a young South African national was so
inspired by Tamil classical music that he spent three years at the
feet of popular musician Dr. K.J.Jesudas at his home in India and
now his recitals are an exact replica of his master and he has
become a globally acclaimed Tamil classical music figure.
Tamils in Oceania
Australia with a
population of over 18 million has about 30,000 Tamils spread out in
all the six states, but the concentration is mainly in the states of
New South Wales and Victoria. There are more than ten Hindu temples
spread over all the states and Tamil is one of the approved subjects
for the HSC examination and Tamil skill tests are conducted for
children of ages five to sixteen.
New Zealand has
about 3,000 Tamils, mostly professionals who have migrated on their
own. Attempts are being made to construct Hindu temples and
consolidate their cultural and religious links.
Fiji in the Pacific
Ocean had a Tamil population of over 110,000 whose ancestors were
taken there to work in the plantations by the colonial masters in
the 1880s. Out of an Indian population of 350,000 the Tamils could
number about 80,000 now. The number who can speak Tamil is about
5,000 only and another 1,000 could write. It is only about 6,000 who
declare their origins as Tamils as most of them have got well
integrated with the local population. Most of them have lost their
Tamil identity and are Tamils only in name. The South Indian
Sanmarga Sangam is the pioneer body that forged the Tamil culture,
Tamil education and the Hindu practices in the country for a long
time. The worship of Lord Muruga is very popular and many Tamils
still go by their Tamil names such as Pillai, Mudaliyar, Padayadchy,
Samy, Naidu and Gownder.
New Caledonia and
Tahiti in the Pacific Ocean have only about 20 Tamil families
who are the decendents of the early Tamil settlers who went to work
in the coal mines. Although they have lost their Tamil identity,
they are known by Tamil names such as Pavalakoddy, Rayappu,
Veerasamy, Saminathan and Maria Soosai.
Tamils in the Gulf
Baharain is the home
for over 7,000 Tamils, mostly professionals and workers.
Qatar is the home for
about 4,000 Tamils, mostly from Tamil Nadu. In December 2000 the
Qatar Tamil Sangam was inaugurated for conducting Tamil cultural
programmes, teaching of Thirukkural and conducting Tamil elocution
contests for Tamil children.
United Arab Emirates (UAE): There are about 10,000 Tamils spread
over the several states of the UAE, having come from Tamil Nadu and
Sri Lanka as professionals and workers in many sectors. There are
three Hindu temples in Oman and a Lord Siva worship facility in a
religious complex in Dubai. Pongal and New Year are celebrated on a
grand scale in Dubai and in a few other states. Recently a Tamil
newspaper Tamilan Kural circulates in Dubai.
Saudia Arabia and Kuwait are home for a substantial number of Tamils
who are recent migrants.
Tamils in Europe
Britain has
more than 300,000 Tamils out of whom about 200,000 are from Sri
Lanka.
France has more than
60,000 Tamils from Pondicherry and a substantial number of Sri
Lankan Tamils who went there as refugees. The Tamil electronic and
print media radiates worldwide from there and they are very popular.
Many Hindu temples are serving the community well religiously and
culturally, not only in the capital but also in the suburbs.
Germany has well over
50,000 Tamils and more than half of them went as refugees from Sri
Lanka. Religious fervour among them got intensified as their numbers
swelled. Due to the inspirational encouragement of Hawaii
Subramaniaswami � the disciple of Yoga Swamigal � two well organized
Hindu temples � Sidhivinayagar Kovil and the Kannagi Amman Kovil �
have in place in Hamm since 1984. According to the journal Hinduism
Today, the youth are being well trained in their religion and
culture at home and in weekend schools in rented halls using texts
from Sri Lanka. They even wear Saiva symbols of Vibuthi and Tilak.
Italy has about 25,000
Tamils, most of whom have gone as refugees during the last few
years.
Switzerland has
about 40,000 Tamils, the majority of whom are from Sri Lanka who
have gone as refugees. Although they are well entrenched in the
country and integrated with the local community, yet they are
actively alive to their Hindu religious and Tamil cultural links.
Temples, cultural festivals, international conferences, seminars and
meetings draw a large number of the Tamil diaspora from other
European countries to the various Swiss cities, so much so that it
has become the nerve centre of Tamil cultural activism. Tamil
language classes, dance and music classes run by voluntary bodies
are fast increasing.
Netherlands has
more than 20,000 Tamils, the majority of whom are refugees from Sri
Lanka.
Norway has about
10,000 Tamils, most of whom are Sri Lankan refugees. The city of
Bergen is the home for about 400 Tamil families. It has become the
centre for Tamil gatherings. Yogarajah Balasingam (Baskaran) is the
first elected Tamil member for the city council there.
Sweden has a Tamil
population of about 2,000 which is of recent origin.
Denmark has over
7,000 Tamils the majority, being refugees. There are two
well-patronized Hindu temples � one for Vinayagar and another for
Abhirami � and the Tamil population has got well adapted to the
Danish environment.
Tamils in Americas and the Caribbean
USA is the home for more
than 300,000 Tamils both from Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka.
Canada has a large
concentration of Sri Lankan Tamils, almost 90% of the Tamil
population � amounting to 300,000. Tamil is taught from primary to
pre-university level and 75% of the children learn the language with
interest. The cultural needs of the community are catered to well by
round-the-clock radio/television channels and by numerous Tamil
publications � literary and religious. Apart from the World Tamil
Organisation there are many more pro-active voluntary organizations
keeping the Tamil culture alive and the numerous Hindu temples and
churches satisfy the religious fervour of the diaspora community.
Guadelope and
Martinique in the French West Indies had 20,000 and 15,000
Tamils respectively. The migration was mainly sailings from
Pondicherry and Karaikal during the years 1853 � 1883 and since 1893
almost all of them got well integrated with the people there.
Presently, a microscopic minority of 17 who are in the age range
60-70 can speak Tamil and one Albert Marimuttu is a standout.
Guyana in South America has had a large number of Tamils in their
plantations since 1838. Most of the sailings were from Madras and in
1860, 2,500 from Madras alone settled there. Tamils were spread in
about 60 towns. Dr Cheddy Jagan, former President, and Shridath
Ramphal, former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, had Indian
origins.
Trnindad and Tobago
in the Caribbeanhas had Tamils since 1840 and there was a place
called Madras settlement near the airport. They were all plantation
workers. There was a Siva temple called the "Madras Sivalayam" or
the Canra road temple. There was a priest from Gopichettipalayam in
1910. The Deepavali celebration by the Tamils there displayed
extraordinary pluralism, but over the years the people have lost
their knowledge of Tamil. Yet, the Tamils over there moved from
servitude to resistance and finally to freedom and were able to
retain their self-dignity, preserve and enhance their culture and
enrich themselves.
As much as the diaspora love their origins and roots to the lands of
their birth and that of their ancestors, there is one core element;
a vital bond that holds together the diaspora of Tamils spread
across the globe. That is the common language � TAMIL � and its rich
and inspiring manifestations. The Tamil language and the
encompassing culture of enduring values have transcended national
boundaries. It continues to bridge and express all thoughts in
writings spanning centuries, and into the time zones.
Comment by
tamilnation.org
Here, there may be a need to consider whether the words
of
Thomas Friedman in A Manifesto for the Fast World in
the New York Times Magazine in 1999, about the US may
have a more general applicability: '...The hidden hand
of the market will never work without a hidden fist -
McDonald's cannot flourish without McDonnell-Douglas,
the designer of the F-15. And the hidden fist that keeps
the world safe for Silicon Valley's technologies is
called the US Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps...
Without America on duty, there will be no America
Online..."
more |
The Tamil diaspora share a common bond that is fragile. There is
an urgent need to restore the primacy in Tamil thought and culture.
It is interesting that there is a proposal to launch an
International Tamil Centre in the USA to create a global vision for
the Tamil population and to meet all the challenges. A Tamil
University and Cultural Complex is being created to serve the global
community of Tamils. T he idea is to foster unity, promote culture,
enhance education and enrich the Tamil language. The headquarters
will be located in the USA. There will be the International Tamil
Centre Complex, University Complex and the Community Housing
Complex. This Centre, in course of time, should evolve as an ideal
centre to co-ordinate and bring together the valued aspirations of
the global Tamil community for greater achievements and success.
Tamil Media
On a global level, apart from the Tamil print media which reaches
the nooks and cranies of the world, the strongest bond that binds
the Tamil diaspora is the electronic media that has helped to
compress it into a tiny village. On this role, the immense services
being rendered by the daily half an hour broadcast by the
�Tamil Osai�
from the BBC; the VERITAS from Manila, Philippines; the round-the
clock-Radio/TV by the
IBC (Tamil) London; Inbathamil Vanoli from Australia and the
web-sites such as
www.tamilnation.org ,
www.tamilnet.com ,
www.tamilcanadian.com ,
www.tamilnaatham.com ,
www.sangam.org are worthy of mention, among many others.
The Tamil TV, film and music industry have in the past two decades
found a niche market among the Tamil diaspora and their
marketability is said to be next only to Hindi films/music in the
competitive overseas market.
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