CHENNAI: Reaching out to NRI Tamils living across the globe on World Tamil Diaspora Day, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday promised to do everything possible to introduce Tamil culture and language to the current generation of NRI Tamils, and called upon them to stand united as Tamils without giving room for division.
“We have come together on the theme, Thamizhal Inaivom, (let us unite in the name of Tamil). Nations separate us but our language unites us because Tamil has that capability, the CM said. “Many of you may not have voting rights in Tamil Nadu. But you have the right to say Tamil Nadu government is our government,” the CM said.
“Tamils are the only race that does not live in just one country. Their population is significantly high in more than 30 countries. They are also present in more than 60 countries. The Tamil community had left to foreign lands for business, livelihood, and jobs. But for all of them, Tamil Nadu is the motherland,” Stalin said.
The CM said he doesn’t consider NRI Tamils as people who left the motherland in search of jobs. “I consider you as cultural emissaries of Tamil Nadu in foreign countries,” he said. Stalin said the TN Non-Resident Tamils’ Welfare Act was enacted by the previous DMK government in 2011. Now, after the present government assumed office, the Non-Resident Tamils’ Welfare Board with an initial corpus of Rs 5 crore has been formed. Work is on to create a database of NRI Tamils.