Chennai, Sep 12 — A delegation representing the Voice of Eelam Tamil Women met former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M.K. Stalin at Anna Arivalayam in Chennai on Saturday and appealed for continued support for the rights and protection of Tamils in Sri Lanka.
According to a statement issued by the organisation, the delegation comprised 10 women representing the eight districts of the traditional Tamil homeland in the island nation.
The representatives said they had come together to draw attention to what they described as continuing attempts to destroy the cultural heritage, identity and homeland ideology of Eelam Tamils.
The delegation included Santhamalar Antony Johnson from Trincomalee district, Lakshmanarajani Jayaprakash from Batticaloa, Sindhuja Chouhan from Ampara, Jagadambigai Vigneswaran from Mullaitivu, Saroja Kuganesadasan from Vavuniya and Patricia Alex from Mannar.
Vanceline Kandasamy and Subadharshini Sachithanantham represented Kilinochchi district, while Jamuna Chandrakumar and Vimaleswari Srikantharoopan represented Jaffna district.
During the meeting, the representatives briefed Stalin about the political, cultural and humanitarian challenges confronting the Tamil population in Sri Lanka. They alleged that systematic measures were continuing to weaken the Tamil identity and alter the character of areas traditionally inhabited by Tamils.
The organisation described these developments as evidence of an ongoing genocide aimed at erasing the established culture and national identity of Eelam Tamils.
The members sought greater attention from political parties and civil society organisations in Tamil Nadu to the situation faced by Tamil communities across the island.
The delegation also expressed gratitude to the people of Tamil Nadu for their longstanding solidarity with Sri Lankan Tamils. It particularly thanked those who had worked with commitment to raise awareness about alleged human rights violations and campaign for justice for victims of the prolonged ethnic conflict.
Members said the support extended by Tamil Nadu’s Tamil population had provided encouragement to families seeking justice, accountability and political rights in Sri Lanka.
The representatives urged Stalin and the DMK to continue highlighting the concerns of Eelam Tamils at national and international forums. They also stressed the importance of safeguarding the cultural identity, land rights and dignity of Tamil communities and ensuring justice for those affected by the conflict and its aftermath.