CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin wooed the Tamil diaspora in Germany to invest in Tamil Nadu and requested them to take care of their native villages, in addition to extending educational assistance to poor students in government schools in the state. The CM made this appeal while addressing a meeting with the Tamil diaspora in Cologne on Sunday.
“You are witnessing the developed countries, and surely, you also wish that TN also advance like them. So, please continue to contribute to your motherland. Even if you are running a small business, you should also consider doing so in Tamil Nadu. If you are working in large companies, explain to them TN’s potential and motivate them to invest in our state,” Stalin told them.
“Wherever you may go across the globe, never give up your identity as a Tamil. Do not forget your roots, your language, your land and your people. Visit TN with your children at least once a year, and show them our heritage, history, culture, political emancipation and museums such as Keezhadi and Porunai,” the CM said.
Stalin also outlined welfare measures being implemented by the state government for overseas Tamils, including helplines, insurance, repatriation support during crises, and the Vergalai Thedi scheme to reconnect diaspora youth with Tamil heritage.
He said that during the annual non-resident Tamils event this year in Chennai, Tamils from 62 countries participated. “We provide assistance and pensions to families of those who pass away while working overseas. We have also brought back Tamil students and others in times of crisis — 1,524 from Ukraine, 253 from Sudan, 126 from Israel, 220 from Bangladesh and 119 from Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar,” he added.
Through the Vergalai Thedi Scheme, since 2023, 292 Tamils from 15 countries have visited Tamil Nadu, many rediscovering long-lost relatives with tears of joy, he said.
The CM also visited the library of the Tamil department of the Cologne University, which has around 40,000 rare Tamil books, manuscripts and first editions. He also recalled that just after the DMK government assumed office in 2021, it donated `1.25 crore to prevent the closure of the Tamil department at the university, which serves as the key centre for research into the Tamil language in Europe. “The efforts of the state did not go to waste, and it was evident from the Tamil enthusiasts there,” he said.
