By Shan Sundaram
From May 17th to 19th, 2010, Tamil elected representatives from UK, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, France and Denmark Norway and Sweden came to Philadelphia, the historical land mark of USA for its independent in 1776 – for the first assembly of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) with an illuminating message to the world that the democratic and political phase of Tamil people is well and alive.
Participating as the elected representative for the State of New Jersey at the Inaugural Sessions of the TGTE was a solemn, emotional experience that also enthralled the sense of Tamil pride and hope above all.
The hope which shone like the sun through morning mist on that bright spring day in Philadelphia – that our resilience is rising along, especially with the younger generation of Tamils – elected as representatives and being very much involved in the progress of TGTE.
Representatives of all ages have been elected, some of them not born in Sri Lanka. Among them are well educated professionals, such as Attorneys, human rights activists, business people, scholars and philosophers representing all walks of life. They only believe in democratic and transparent approach, the very tool known to them in aspiring and pursuing their goals.
Everyone conducted the affairs with a great understanding and friendliness at the Inaugural Session of the TGTE. The prevailing sense is that all is about collective thought and finding solution for the Tamils.
The next generation representatives of TGTE particularly the young roving ambassadors – are activists having a rapport with their elected political leaders, civil society and well wishers of Tamils around the globe whilst setting a firm foot in their professional aspirations. They are bright and motivated.
Their awakening in the aftermath of Tamil genocide, the war crimes leveled on Tamils and continued denial of basic rights and livelihood of their brethren in Sri Lanka has given them this mantle to inspire others as well in the spirit of serving on TGTE. They understand the difference between Sri Lanka’s continued propaganda of hoodwinking the world and real situation of Tamil people of Sri Lanka. They are aware of Tamil people’s inability to express their suffering, grief, fears, mercy, denial of law and order, fear of getting killed for someone else’s misconduct and being a subject of collective punishment in an environment seeing the ‘absence of war’ but still without ‘peace’.
They are like the first generation of Jewish people who woke up amidst World War II to stand against the genocide of their people. Now shedding light on the slow and rolling genocide of Tamils and bringing justice is the cry they pledged in Philadelphia.
The hope and inspiration that everyone summed up when bidding farewell to the Inaugural Session are many but primary of them, is that the torch has been passed to this new Tamil generation and they are marching forward toward freeing their people.
They say that the world is beginning to knock their doors in order to help the suffering Tamils in Sri Lanka. These are democratically elected army of young ambassadors who are tireless in seeking accountability from the world for the actions related to the onslaught of Tamils in Sri Lanka.
They are about solutions, willing to walk the walk and not just talk. Perhaps the world would have a chance as well to take an inspiration or two from this group, the offspring of a society largely detached from their social fabric and disseminated trans-nationally since the July 1983 pogrom of Tamils.
(Shan Sundaram, TGTE member representing The State of New Jersey is a graduate of Rutgers University, NJ. As an artist, he paints as a hobby and his paintings can be viewed on www.free-tamil.com and www.sundaram-art.com.)
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