CHENNAI: The Tamil community should not be confined within a narrow circle and should not be limited by identities such as Hindu, Christian or Muslim, said ‘We The Leaders’ founder K Annamalai at an event in New Jersey, US, on Friday. “Above all these identities, the larger and overarching identity should be that of being Tamil,” he said while addressing the Tamizh Vizha organised by the Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America (FeTNA).
Praising the Tamil diaspora, Annamalai said Tamils abroad have spread their roots across the world while contributing to the countries where they live without losing their language and culture. He recalled being told that some Tamils in North America identified themselves as ‘Tamil’ rather than ‘Hindu’ in census forms.
Referring to Sri Lankan Tamils, he said it was wrong to call them refugees, noting that around four lakh SL Tamils live in North America and about 90,000 in India. “While India celebrates Independence Day on August 15 and Sri Lanka on February 4, these SLTamils are still without independence. We should ensure they get justice in our lifetime,” he said, adding that he would continue to fight for their cause and urged FeTNA to do the same.
Responding to criticism from some quarters that he is going against Hindutva ideology for participating in the FeTNA event, Annamalai said FeTNA should transcend all identities and serve as a platform connecting Tamils across the world. “I appeal that FeTNA should transcend political parties to support any leader who stands for Tamil,” he said.