…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

I may have digressed a little but the real issue is the rectification of social injustice. The Country has won a war which was almost an unbelievable achievement. Nothing else was really possible without this and for this an enormous amount of blood sweat and tears were sacrificed. The only real way of repaying them is rectifying this injustice which will also make everybody feel that this is his/her country. And that is the intelligent way of removing the dissent. Not by the gun; no doubt Gota cannot let the guard down for some time but this is the way to go and for this the role the government servant has to pay is vital.
Neelagiri, however-much strong or big was helpless once in the grips of an institution, and was tied and tortured leading to death. It is the same for the general public unless the public representatives are sensitive to this need and come forward to ameliorate this vital need.

Konara Wanigasekara; Pitakotte; 30.1.11

(This is an extract from an article written by me some time a ago when an eleplant by the name Neelagiri died while living at Pinnawela. Although the topic s are different I think there is some relevence between the two; hence inserted here)

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TRACING THE PAST WITH THE INTERNATIONAL TAMIL STUDIES CONFERENCE

TORONTO – The world’s largest annual Tamil Studies Conference will draw hundreds of leading international scholars, activists and students to the University of Toronto from May 11 to 12, to discuss questions of Tamil history, politics, arts, identity and gender.

In its seventh year, the Conference will focus on “Traces of the Past.” Specifically, scholars will examine how people understand and reflect upon the past, and how this in turn shapes the contemporary world.

With over 30 presenting academics from different disciplines, attendees will have access to a wide range of perspectives and topics, such as:

• Female Narratives of Trauma in Post-War Jaffna;
• Activism in Sri Lanka: A History;
• The Past as known from Tamil Inscriptions: Village Community and Challenge to the Caste System;
• Reflections on Royal Lineages and History; and
• Writing History and Writing the Tamil Past in Late Colonial Tamil Nadu.

“Since the virtual demise of the International Association for Tamil Research (IATR), the annual Tamil Studies Conference of Toronto has become the academic forum for Tamil studies in a globalizing world,” stated A.R.Venkatachalapathy, ICCR Chair Professor of Indian Studies at the National University of Singapore.

The Conference is turning Toronto into a hub for Tamil Studies in North America, allowing Tamil diaspora and the broader community to engage with scholars from academic institutions around the world. This year’s conference includes academics from Canada, Sri Lanka, India, United States, United Kingdom, Japan and many more. Organized by the Universities of Toronto and Windsor, the conference also encourages students to develop a deeper interest in Tamil Studies.

For all media inquiries, please contact:
Media Coordinator: Sobika Sadacharam at 416-770-4243 or media@tamilstudiesconference.ca

For more information about the conference, please visit: http://www.tamilstudiesconference.ca