After three years of convening virtually, the 5th Tamil Heritage Month celebrations at U of T Scarborough brought together members of the Tamil diaspora across the Greater Toronto Area for a much-awaited in-person celebration.
Held at the Highland Hall, the well-attended event was lit with musical and dance performances from local Tamil artists and presented an opportunity for the guests to pay homage to their traditions and heritage through their attire, the food and cultural festivities.
The occasion was the first since the successful conclusion of the community-funded philanthropic campaign that raised $3 million dollars for the Chair of Tamil Studies at UTSC, where donors, campaign organizers and community members got the opportunity to gather in person to appreciate the enormity and impact of what they have achieved together.
Run over three years, the grassroots campaign to raise funds for the first endowed chair of its kind in Canada was led by members of the Canadian Tamil Congress and Tamil Chair Inc., who brought the idea to UTSC first in 2018.
With over 3500 individual donors spanning across the globe, the campaign, which seemed lofty when it began, soon surmounted the challenges posed by the pandemic and united Tamils everywhere from Australia to the Middle East to France and North America in their will to make the Chair a reality.
“The investment you’re making today is not just to record the history that this language stands for, but also to signal the future of Tamil as truly a living language that is able to transcend time, generations,” said Wisdom Tettey, vice president of the University of Toronto and principal of the University of Toronto Scarborough, in his address. Congratulating the campaign contributors in attendance, Prof. Tettey highlighted the significance of a language with such deep historical roots, which is rich in extent and content, to have pride of place in a globally renowned institution like U of T, and the impact that would have on future generations of Tamil speakers and scholars.
“I am deeply inspired by the momentum of public support that has been kept till this present moment, which is a testament to what a group of people with the sincere intent to make a difference can accomplish,” said Lisa Lemon, Executive Director of the Development and Alumni Relations Office while thanking the individuals whose efforts made the Tamil Chair campaign a success.
Reflecting on the designation of Tamil as one of the seven classical ancient languages in the world, Sivan Ilangko, President of the Canadian Tamil Congress and a director of Tamil Chair Inc., observed, “In recent times, there has been a lot of focus and discussions on diversity and inclusiveness, whereas Tamils recognize the importance of inclusivity around 3000 years ago. Tamils value everyone to be treated as their own people,” a sentiment that was palpable in the camaraderie and warmth of the gathering.
Gracing the evening were not just members of the Toronto Tamil diaspora and donors to the Tamil Chair campaign but also policy leaders Gary Anandasangaree, the Member of Parliament for the Scarborough Rouge-Park riding, and Jennifer McKelvie, a proud UTSC alumna and the Deputy Mayor of Toronto, who shared their excitement at seeing the Tamil community reach this milestone in creating a space for their language, identity and culture to thrive in the Canadian context.
Catch glimpses of the evening in the photo gallery here.