Tamil Affairs

Tamil News

Latest news from and about the homeland

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A Guinness World Record set by nearly 5,000 Bharatanatyam dancers at Galle Face in Colombo has sparked controversy, after activists questioned why the official recognition was awarded to organisers and an overseas instructor rather than the thousands of performers who paid to take part. The SANGAMAM-2026 event, held on 14 June, saw 4,988 dancers successfully set a new Guinness World Record for…

Tamils in Qatar commemorate Maaveerar Naal

Tamils living in Doha, Qatar marked Maaveerar Naal alongside Tamils across the world on Friday.

Alongside makeshift graves, dozens of photos of those who died during the struggle for liberation were posted.

Flame lit on Mullaitivu beach for Maaveerar Naal

Tamil youth in Mullaitivu have commemorated Maaveerar Naal despite facing intense intimidation from Sri Lankan military.


Young people came together on a beach in Mullaitivu to light a commemorative flame at 18.05, a Maaveerar Naal tradition observed in tribute to the exact time of the death of the first LTTE cadre, Lt Shankar.

French Tamils mark Maaveerar Naal


Tamils in France attended a remembrance event on Friday to commemorate Maaveerar Naal or Tamil National Remembrance Day.

Maaveerar Naal commemorated in Strasbourg


Tamil families in Strasbourg gathered at their local community center to commemorate Maaveerar Naal.

Canadian Tamils commemorate Maaveerar Naal

Canadian Tamils have been gathering in Toronto's Markham Fairgrounds since early Friday morning to commemorate Maaveerar Naal.

Events began with the lighting of the commemorative flame at 7.35am EST to coincide with the time of 18.05 in the homeland, the traditional moment for lighting the flame to mark the death of Lt Shankar, the first Maaveerar.

A live-stream of the ongoing event can be watched below.

 

Maaveerar Naal marked in Amparai

Maaveerar Naal was commemorated in secret in Amparai on Friday, alongside other taking place across the North-East.

A group of Tamil youth laid the Tamil Eelam flag, alongside the gloriosa lilies and lit deepams to commemorate those that died in the Tamil struggle for liberation.

The event was held at an undisclosed location in the Amparai forests, located in the Eastern Province.

Maaveerar Naal marked in Switzerland

Maaveerar Naal was commemorated in Switzerland at the Forum Fribourg.


The event was attended by thousands of Tamils living across Switzerland and featured the traditional ceremony of raising flags and lighting flames.

Tamil teen commits suicide over political prisoner issue


An 18-year old Tamil student committed suicide this morning, in protest at the continued detention of Tamil political prisoners.


Rajeswaran Senthuran, a student at Kokkuvil Hindu College jumped in front of a train at Kondavil railway station near Jaffna.

More Maaveerar Naal posters go up at Jaffna University

Several posters have again appeared in the premises of the University of Jaffna, despite an increased military presence in the vicinity.

Have we not lost enough lives for our rights?' - Jaffna Uni protests in tribute to student who committed suicide

Students at the University of Jaffna held a demonstration calling the Sri Lankan government to account, after a school student committed suicide over the ongoing Tamil political prisoners crisis.

@uthayashalin

Demonstrators called for justice for the death of 18-year-old Rajeswaran Senthuran, who took his own life in protest at the Sri Lankan government's failure to release Tamil political prisoners.


Rajeswaran Senthuran, a student at Kokkuvil Hindu College jumped in front of a train at Kondavil railway station near Jaffna.