Tamils - a Trans State Nation..

"To us all towns are one, all men our kin.
Life's good comes not from others' gift, nor ill
Man's pains and pains' relief are from within.
Thus have we seen in visions of the wise !."
- Tamil Poem in Purananuru, circa 500 B.C 

NATIONS & NATIONALISM

Nations & Cyberspace

Space Time - a Painting in Oils by Jayalakshmi Satyendra
 

 "Contrary to general projections that the Internet will lead to a larger integration of people, it is now seen that the medium tends to bind people into smaller and smaller communities by reiterating national identities (Ranganathan, 2004). Thus, the Net with some of its unique technological features like the ability to transgress boundaries, to provide extensive information through hyperlinks and provide instant interactivity has ironically contributed significantly to the resurgence of nationalism."

"..the Internet is fast becoming a major medium for the consolidation, strengthening and definition of collective identities, especially in the absence of a firm territorial and institutional base. Some of the nationalist groups that appear to be most active on the Internet are Sri Lankan Tamils, Kurds, Palestinians... The most important transnational voice for Tamil independence may be the websites TamilNet (www.tamilnet.com ) and Tamilnation (www.tamilnation.org ), which are updated frequently..."

Comments on Thomas Hylland Eriksen's paper 'Nations in cyberspace'  -  Mirca Madianou, University of Cambridge

"..If print capitalism (Anderson, 1983) and education (Gellner, 1983) catalysed the emergence of the nation-state, then what role do television and more recently, the internet have on processes of nation-building and nation-maintenance? Crucially, this is not merely a theoretical question; such debates are reflected in a number of policy decisions about immigration and multicultural politics thus having tangible consequences in people's everyday lives..."

"A study of cyber cafes in a Colombo locality reveals that for Sri Lanka's Tamils establishing linkages with the worldwide Tamil diaspora is no longer an act of mere communication but one that seeks active interaction. The internet has facilitated several alternatives that reconfigure and resist dominant assumptions and the virtual existence of Tamil Eelam does not replicate geopolitical configurations. Instead, spatial metaphors used to describe the internet exist in tandem with other models."

 
"..Although it is sometimes argued that the nation state is becoming less important and we’re heading towards a global village, evidence is also pointing the other way. Nationalism is flourishing – almost every armed conflict in the modern world has nationalistic roots. One of the most visible aspects of the new nationalism is the spread of nationalistic online activities..."

"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. This website is about how these groups use the Internet - how Virtual Nations are created and used..."

"The swiftly evolving information and communication technologies and networking infrastructures are playing an expanding role in supporting the self-determination of peoples and emergent nations...."