Report - First International Conference on Tamil Diaspora
The Tamil people have a long history of emigrating to and settling down in foreign lands as labourers, craftsmen and traders. Today there are about 25 million Tamils scattered in 55 countries across the world. Many of them have lived in those foreign countries since a few generations, while the others have gone to these countries in the past about half a century in search of jobs and a better livelihood.
The First International Conference on Tamil Diaspora, organized with the purpose of bringing together the Diaspora Tamils and finding the ways and means to teach and nurture Tamil language and culture among them was held in Mauritius from 23rd to 25th July 2014.
The conference was a thumbing success, with the participation of 300 delegates from 25 countries. The entourage from Tamil Nadu was 65 strong.
The conference, which was held in the vast campus of the Mahatma Gandhi Institute in Port Louis, was jointly organized by the Ministry of Arts and Culture, Mauritius, Institute of Asian Studies, Chennai and International Tamil Diaspora Association, Mauritius, in collaboration with the Mahatma Gandhi Institute, Mauritius.
Dr. Navin Ramgoolam, the Honb’le Prime Minister of Mauritius, inaugurated the conference. Dr. Armoogum Parsuramen, former Education Minister of Mauritius and former Director of UNESCO, delivered the inaugural address. Dr. John Samuel, Director of the Institute of Asian Studies delivered a speech on the theme of the conference. Dr. Paul Bérenger, former Prime Minister of Mauritius, who is also the present Leader of Opposition, gave a speech welcoming the delegates. All Ministers of Mauritius were present in the function.
Delegates from over 25 countries presented more than 75 research articles on the Tamil Diaspora in Tamil, English and French. Besides, 10 special invitee lectures were delivered by renowned academicians.
Dr. James Gregory, a lexicographer from England, delivered the valedictory speech.
The participating academicians and delegates practically represented the Tamil Diaspora communities living in their respective countries.
The Prime Minister of Mauritius unveiled the exhibition on digitization of Tamil palm-leaf manuscripts by the Institute of Asian Studies and also the exhibition of historical documents pertaining to the emigrant Tamils arranged with the help of the UNESCO.
The academic sessions brought out research papers dealing with various aspects of the socio-political settings in which the migrant Tamils live in the countries of their domicile. Several cultural and fine arts programmes also took place as part of the conference.
The Prime Minister released in a colourful function the souvenir of the conference, grandly brought out by the Institute of Asian Studies. The souvenir was decorated by greeting messages received from the leaders of a number of countries including Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the British Queen, and internationally acclaimed academicians.
30 resolutions, proposing the ways that could be adopted for the study of Tamil language and upkeep of Tamil culture among the Tamil Diaspora in different countries were adopted at the end of parleys attended by the Tamil researchers and delegates from the participant countries. A number of resolutions that spoke about the requirement of the role of the government of Tamil Nadu in implementing them formed part of these, and these have been submitted to the Tamil Nadu government for further action.
Spurred by the huge success of the first conference in Mauritius, a number of countries have expressed their willingness to host similar conferences for the Tamil Diaspora in the following years. The second, third and fourth conferences have been planned to be held in South Africa, Réunion Island and Australia, where several lakh Tamils live.
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