By Shaaranki Kulenthirarasa

Disclaimer: The writer of this story performed at the event held on Nov. 10 by the TMU Tamil Students Association.

For many Tamil students at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), this Thursday, Nov. 27 is one filled with remembrance and reflection. Maaveerar Naal—which translates to “Great Heroes Day”—is a memorial day observed by the community to remember those who sacrificed their lives for Tamils during the Sri Lankan Civil War. 

Across the month of November, Tamil Students Associations (TSA) at many universities work together with the Tamil Youth Organization (TYO)—an international organization—to hold ceremonies commemorating the lives lost. Swaytan Rameshwaran, co-president of  TMU’s TSA said they were one of the earliest student groups to host the ceremony in Ontario, which was held on Nov. 10. Kuberaka Kumareswaran, co-president of TMU’s TSA said this day is significant for Tamil students who were born and brought up in foreign countries.

“We definitely wouldn’t be able to [have] this freedom, an education without the maaveerar [heroes] who have fought for us…It’s a constant reminder for us to keep pushing, keep excelling in whatever career we are doing,” she said. 

Earlier this year in May, Chinguacousy Park’s Tamil Genocide Monument was revealed in Brampton, Ont. Thousands of civilians were killed in the civil war which lasted over 26 years from 1983 to 2009. The community’s understanding of the killing of civillians as a genocide is reflected in Ontario’s Tamil Genocide Education Week Act (Bill 104). 

As the preamble for Bill 104 notes, “Acts of genocide against the Tamils started in 1948 after Sri Lanka gained its independence and were perpetrated through Sinhala-Buddhist centric government policies, pogroms, land grabs and ethnic cleansing.”

Over 35 students gathered on campus to participate in the remembrance event which consisted of flag raising and lowering ceremonies, flower blessing ceremonies and several performances by Tamil students.

Rameshwaran said this event—which the group hosts every year—is a reminder that the younger generation of Tamil students who are born and raised in foreign countries remain connected to their roots. 

“It is important for us to run these events because it’s an opportunity for us to showcase it to people that are not Tamil. We [can] spread awareness about what happened in the [civil war],” he said. 

Ashwin Vasantharasan, the TSA coordinator for the TYO supports several TSAs across the country to organize and carry out events related to Tamil culture. 

Vasantharasan said the event students hosted was empowering. 

“It’s very inspiring and motivating to see that even after 15 plus years since the height of the Tamil genocide, our next generation continues to carry the histories and memories of our nation,” he said. 

The TYO organizes the Youth Maaveerar Naal ceremony annually, which will be held on Tuesday Nov. 25 at the Metropolitan Centre in Scarborough. Students from various Canadian high schools and universities come together for this. Many also volunteer for the Nov. 27 ceremony held at The International Centre in Mississauga, Ont. 

For many Tamils, this is a day to remember loved ones who lost their lives.

In addition, efforts are being made to build the ‘Tamil Community Centre’ in northeast Scarborough aimed to provide programming and a space where the Tamil community can come together. 

Abisha Baskaran, a second-year law and business student, was one of the students who performed at the TMU’s TSA event. Baskaran—who has grown up performing at Maaveerar Naal events throughout the community—feels that this November, with the building of the Tamil Genocide Monument, the community feels heard. 

“I think [it’s] a really huge step. Many people died…Many horrible things happened to a lot of people. A lot of the country had to flee to other countries and towns just so that they could live…I think it’s a big step that people are learning about it,” she said.

Kumareswaran and Rameshwaran also find that the idea of the Tamil Community Centre a step in the right direction—bringing together members of the community with shared experiences. Rameshwaran said the government’s support of this community centre is big.

“It’s something important to us because it’s something we are finally starting to see more representation [in] and seeing people recognize the struggles of Tamil people,” said Rameshwaran.

Though these students see change being made, they feel that there is still a long way to go. 

“I feel like there needs to be more work done to bring justice to our people…This year like every other year people both in the homeland and in the diaspora will continue to remember our heroes,” said Vasantharasan.