A protest was held outside the Immigration and Emigration Department in Colombo last month, as anti-Indian sentiment flared in the wake of controversy over VFS Global, a private firm tasked with issuing visas at the Bandaranaike International Airport. 

“We are not a slave of Indian hegemony,” one protester told the media, according to a report in the Sri Lanka Guardian. “We will continue this protest in very strong terms if the government does not take proper action,” she added.

“As you can see, we are in front of the National Immigration Office here to protest against the decision to transfer the right of our state to issue visas to visiting foreigners, non-Sri Lankan citizens, through an Indian proxy campaign,” said another. “We see this incident not as a standalone issue, but as an interconnected issue of the wider Indian efforts to take over strategic sectors of our economy and our state.”

 “Akhand Bharat never existed in history and it will never be. But nevertheless, our corrupt politicians in this government and also in the opposition who want to come to power with Indian help think if they cooperate with India, it will be easier for them to take over,” remarked yet another protester.

“Already the Mattala airport has been given to Indian management. We see how the efforts have been taken to sign ECTA, an extremely draconian free trade agreement that serves the interest of the Indian state, but not the Sri Lankan populace or the Sri Lankan state,” claimed another demonstrator.

“When people return from overseas, this will be an Indian country,” a protestor told individuals who had come to the Department of Emigration and Immigration to obtain a new passport. “Ranil Wickremesinghe has said he will sell these lands to India. We are losing money through this deal with VFS, it's all going to India. The country’s national security rests with India.”

Meanwhile, Sinhala Buddhist monk Battaramulla Seelarathne charged that there has been an increase in murders, whilst at the same time Sri Lanka is being sold off by its president. “I ask of you, who gave permission or what law permitted VFS to have the authority of issuing visas," he questioned. "Why was this Indian company given such power? Why do we have to answer to these Indians at the airport to enter our country.”

Chaos ensued at the Bandaranaike International Airport earlier this month, after an irate Sri Lankan man berated officials for reportedly allowing Indian firms to take over the issuance of visas on behalf of Sri Lankans. A viral video shows the individual in question arguing with officials at the airport after his companion was apparently denied a visa. The Indian High Commission in Colombo was forced to deny any Indian involvement with issuing visas in Sri Lanka.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa in a post on X alleged that the “only logical explanation is absolute corruption” for the visa deal.

The committee before exploring free visas should explore allegations of fraud and corruption on the VFS deal. Without that, there is no free visa, tourists still have to pay processing fee to VFS. It’s a waste of time using committees to distract from the real issue. https://t.co/wA3fyPBLf4

— Sajith Premadasa (@sajithpremadasa) May 6, 2024

Marking the 15th anniversary of the Tamil genocide, US representatives of Congress have introduced a landmark resolution urging the United States to push for an independence referendum for Eelam Tamils and members have issued a statement expressing their concerns over the crackdowns on genocide memorials.

US Congresswoman Deborah Ross in a video statement said she stood with Tamil people not just in America but around the world in honouring and mourning the tens of thousands of Tamils who were killed in the Mullivaikkal massacre. The International Truth and Justice Project estimates that over 169,000 people were killed during the final phase of the armed conflict in which the Sri Lankan army ruthlessly bombed hospital, food lines and designated "no fire zones".

“Accountability for past and ongoing human rights violations is necessary for Sri Lanka to pass its current struggles and ensure a peaceful and sustainable future for all people,” she said. “Tamil people deserve justice and to live in peace and dignity in their homeland.”

She added that the international community with the United States as their leader has a key role to play in advancing accountability and redress for the Tamil people. 

Meanwhile, Congressman, Raja Krishnamoorthi speaking in Congress on Genocide Remembrance Day said that it was a moment for Congress to reflect on its commitment to Tamils in their search for reconciliation and reform. 

He urged the Sri Lankan government and the international community to advocate for the protection of rights for all people of Sri Lanka to work with all parties for a sustainable political solution to prevent recurrence. He also applauded the commitment and bravery of those who work to seek justice and accountability.

The Tamil people suffered greatly during the Sri Lankan Civil War. As we mark the 15-year anniversary since the end of the war, I took to the House floor to honor the lives lost and urge Sri Lanka and the international community to protect the rights of all people. pic.twitter.com/F9nwfA5zeT

— Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (@CongressmanRaja) May 23, 2024

Earlier this month, a resolution was introduced to the US Congress calling on the United States to work towards an independence referendum for Eelam Tamils.  The resolution, introduced by Representative Wiley Nickel, is the first of its kind to be brought to the US Congress. It comes as Tamils marked 15 years since the Mullivaikkal genocide this week, with May 18 commemorated as Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day worldwide. 

Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, reaffirmed his party’s support for Sri Lanka to be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) “so at long last there can be accountability for the genocide”.

“Today the Sri Lankan government is as bad as ever,” said Davey, in a video statement released to mark Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day.

“It continues to oppress Tamil people and Mr. Wickremesinghe is still failing to do the right thing,” he said, referring to Sri Lanka’s president.

“That's why as leader of the Liberal Democrats I commit my party to the voices demanding that the Sri Lanka government is referred to the International Criminal Court, so at long last there can be accountability for the genocide committed against Tamil people.”

“It has been 15 years,” he continued. “We’ve waited far too long.”

His remarks echo that of Labour party leader Keir Starmer who paid tribute to the tens of thousands of Tamils killed in 2009 in a statement released to mark the “15th year Mullivaikkal Genocide Remembrance Day”.

In 2022, Starmer called on the UK government to “stand with the Tamils and heed the recommendations of the UN High Commissioner to refer the perpetrators of the atrocities to the International Criminal Court".

A member of the opposition party Kabir Hashim, leveled accusations in parliament against the government for intentionally obstructing the process of opening financial bid proposals from companies vying for a contract to construct a 50-megawatt wind power plant. 

According to Hashim, this obstruction was an attempt to conceal the potentially lower electricity prices that could result from an open and competitive bidding process.

The opposition MP contrasted this situation to a previous 484MW wind plant project awarded to India's Adani Group through an inter-government agreement, bypassing a competitive tender process.

Hashim informed the parliament that three companies had undergone and successfully passed the technical evaluation stage of the bidding process. He stated that the sealed financial bids from these qualified companies were originally scheduled to be opened and reviewed on May 17th. 

Hashim alleged that due to undue influence exerted by certain officials, there were efforts underway to cancel the opening of the financial bid proposals altogether.

The opposition MP criticized the chairman and staff of the Sustainable Energy Authority, accusing them of a concerted "operation" to derail the bid opening. He questioned whose interests these officials were representing by taking such actions to subvert the process. Hashim emphasized that the proposed 50MW wind plant was a critical need for the nation's energy infrastructure. Based on analysis, he believed that if awarded through fair competition, the electricity from this plant could be procured at rates below 6 cents per kilowatt-hour.

Hashim insinuated that corrupt motives could be at play, with officials potentially having undisclosed ties to certain energy companies, acting on those companies' behalf rather than the public's interest. He urged Harsha de Silva, who chairs the parliamentary Committee on Public Finance, to call the responsible officials to testify and compel them to proceed with opening the financial bids as originally planned.

Power purchase agreements and tenders for various projects are plagued by corruption. Recently Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index saw Sri Lanka dropping a few places down, from a rank of 38 in 2018 to 34 this year.

Transparency cites that the weak scores reflect the lack of delivery by elected officials on anti-corruption agendas, together with crackdowns on civil society and attacks on freedoms of press, assembly, and association. 

“Corruption will continue to thrive until justice systems can punish wrongdoing and keep governments in check," said François Valérian, Chair of Transparency International. "When justice is bought or politically interfered with, it is the people that suffer. Leaders should fully invest in and guarantee the independence of institutions that uphold the law and tackle corruption. It is time to end impunity for corruption.”

The philanthropic arm of telecoms giant Lyca celebrated the Buddhist festival of Vesak in Batticaloa last week, with extremist Buddhist monk Ampitiye Sumanarathana seen distributing ice creams for the charity.

Gnanam, the charity wing of Tamil-owned Lyca, opened the stall to celebrate the Buddhist festival,  where food is shared throughout the day. The festival comes just weeks after Tamils were arrested for distributing Mullivaikkal kanji, a rice porridge that is usually distributed to commemorate Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day.

Sri Lankan officials however were seen partaking in festivities, alongside racist Buddhist monk Ampitiye Sumanarathana The monk, notorious for his racist outbursts and assaults, was seen speaking to Gnanam officials and helping distribute free food to residents in the area.

Sumanarathana is known for his anti-Tamil and anti-Muslim remarks.

Last year, he threatened that "every single Tamil person will be cut into pieces!" in an outburst that was caught on camera. "They will all be killed! All the Tamils in the south will be cut into pieces and butchered! The Sinhalese will massacre them."

In 2016, the monk threatened to kill a Tamil government official in Batticaloa, subjecting him to verbal slander when he described him as a “Tamil dog” and a “bloody tiger”, while a Sri Lankan police officer watched. Tamils pursued a demonstration in Batticaloa calling for his arrest.

Lyca, meanwhile, has continued to pursue several business interests on the island.

Tamils gathered in front of the illegally constructed Tissa Raja Vihara Buddhist temple in Thaiyiddy, Jaffna, demanding the return of land on which the site is encroaching.

Residents were joined by the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) as they demanded the return of the land, which is owned by 14 Tamil families that surround the illegal construction.

Speaking to reporters, TNPF lawyer Kanagaratnam Sugash said that Tamils will protest to show their opposition to the construction of this Buddhist temple at a site that has been historically Tamil.

“Tamils of all ages and from all walks of life will continue to turn up here for the next three days to show their opposition until the Buddhist temple is removed,” he said. “Hundreds of people have gathered here for the love of their homeland, so their message to the international community is clear. This temple must be removed from here.”

The Sri Lankan police have erected barricades around the shrine since the protests began last year, to block the public from entering the area. Protestors carried black flags and chanted slogans calling for an end to the illegal structures. 

A Sri Lankan oversight committee on ‘national security’ recently issued a directive, mandating the transfer of private land on which the Tissa Rajamaha Vihara is situated to the shrine, while also suggesting alternative land allocation for Tamil residents whose properties are affected. The directive has called for the land transfer to the Temple and provision of alternative lands to take place. 

The Sri Lankan state has continued to construct Buddhist structures across the North-East, accelerating a process of ‘Sinhalisation’ in the Tamil homeland.  

Britain’s Minister of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said Sri Lanka remains a “human rights priority” for her government, as she responded to a question regarding “reconciliation” on the island.

“We recognise the significant doubts expressed by affected communities regarding the credibility of reconciliation mechanism,” said  Anne-Marie Trevelyan, responding to a written question.

“The UK has stressed the importance of an inclusive participatory process to build trust,” Trevelyan said in response to a question posed by Mattew Offord, the Conservative MP for Hendon.

She added that “any mechanism must be independent, meaningful, and transparent, meet the expectations of affected communities, build upon previous transitional justice processes, and provide pathways for accountability.”

Last month Trevelyan also said the UK government was concerned by “increasing tensions around land" in the North-East when asked about the UK’s response to the arrest of eight Tamils at Vedukkunaari Hill temple in Vavuniya March this year. 

“The UK regularly engages with the Government of Sri Lanka on areas of concern, including progress on reconciliation.”

Her remarks came as Tamils around the world marked 15 years since the genocide at Mullivaikkal this month. British parliamentarians from across the main parties, including the leader of the opposition Keri Starmer, released statements to commemorate the occasions.

Tens of thousands of Tamils were killed by the Sri Lankan security forces at the time. To date, no one ahs been held accountable for the massacres.

^{File photograph.}

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has expressed its “utmost outrage and horror” at the brutal assault of a young man from Medawachchiya last month, after he was forced to have a testicles removed due to assault perpetrated by Sri Lankan officers.

At least two police officers were arrested following the assault, which took place in Medawachchiya, a border town just south of Vavuniya.

The victim, a 23-year-old man, is the son of an officer who is reportedly to also be working at the same police station. The victim had told the local press that he was driving a small lorry when his path was obstructed by police officers who had followed him on a motorbike. 

“The two officers dragged us out, trussed up my hands, and assaulted me,” he told reporters.

“Another four police officers who arrived by trishaw assaulted my friend with clubs. Later they took both of us to the Medawachchiya police and assaulted us again. I told them I was not well and requested to take me to hospital. The doctor who examined me told them, that I was in a serious condition and advised to admit me to Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital.”

“After being subject to a scan test, the doctors said the testicle had been affected by internal haemorrhage. I was subject to surgery to remove my testicle. I have severe pain in the abdomen, my neck, and my spine.” 

He further said that he was not aware of the reason for the assault. However, OIC Medawachchiya police CI R.M.I.B. Ratnayake claimed that the lorry had sped away ignoring the order to halt at the traffic checkpoint and that the police officers had to chase them down. 

In a statement, the BASL vehemently condemned any use of brutality by police officers while carrying out their duties.

“Such reprehensible acts not only contravene the fundamental principles of justice and human rights but also violate international instruments such as the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment,” said the BASL.

“Furthermore, we underscore the obligations enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which unequivocally prohibits torture or any form of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. Such actions also stand in stark violation of Article 11 of our Constitution, which guarantees freedom from torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.”

The BASL said that it is deeply concerned by custodial deaths and the attribution of the cause for such deaths to ‘dubious’ circumstances including the purported attempts of detainees to escape, necessitating officers having to discharge their firearms.

The association went on to highlight that it has consistently condemned these and similar acts by law enforcement officials, recognizing them as egregious breaches of the rule of law. 

“This recent incident is particularly alarming, raising the chilling spectre of a descent into a -police state. The people of Sri Lanka have a fundamental right to live free from fear of violence from those entrusted with their protection. The Constitution guarantees them this right, and the BASL will not tolerate its erosion.”

Former Norwegian peace envoy Erik Solheim stirred criticism after he claimed “Northern Sri Lanka is at peace,” after he returned to the Tamil homeland for the first time in 20 years.

“This is first time I am back to Jaffna and Kilinochchi,” tweeted Solhiem. “Northern Sri Lanka is at peace and that is wonderful. Security is good. Noone want to go back to the war days (sic).”

His remarks sparked criticism with the former chairperson of Sri Lanka’s Human Rights Commission Ambika Satkunanathan tweeting, "Northern Sri Lanka is heavily militarized, security agencies surveil, harass and intimidate civil society, dissenters and media, causing anxiety and stress to these groups."

Solheim went on to state that “many Tamil aspirations are yet to be fulfilled”.

“Thousands of families still dont know what happend to their loved ones who disapperead during the war. Land is not fully restored to old owners. Disputes over historic religious sites and temples must find peaceful settlement. Nothern Sri Lanka needs jobs and prosperity. The Sri Lankan state will have to devolve power (sic).”

He went on to tweet photographs of meetings with officials including ITAK leader S Shritharan.

It is very emotional for me to be back in Jaffna after more than twenty years.

I came numerous times during the war in Sri Lanka. So many of my good friends and colleagues were killed, both Singhala and Tamil. Huge human suffering!

This is first time I am back to Jaffna and… pic.twitter.com/84t6s8iwzp

— Erik Solheim (@ErikSolheim) May 1, 2024

Speaking after a tour of a seafood production factory at Allaipiddy, Solheim said he had come to “investigate the economic and social environment of Jaffna”.

“If the ethnic problem in Sri Lanka is to be resolved everyone should work together without differentiating between Sinhalese, Tamils, and Muslims,” he added, yet also went on to claim that the 13th Amendment would solve many of the ethnic issues in Sri Lanka. Powers should be shared among the provinces, Solheim concluded.

Solheim is a close acquaintance of Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who appointed Solheim as his International Climate Advisor. Solheim hailed Wickremesinghe for his “great vision for green economic recovery” and claimed he pulled off "a political miracle in Sri Lanka".

During Solheim’s last visit to Sri Lanka, he asserted that there is no need for “third party mediation” as the issues raised by Tamil can be solved domestically, despite repeated Tamil calls for international intervention.

The Norwegian also met the hardline Rajapaksa clam at  the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) headquarters in Sri Lanka. Solheim tweeted photographs of himself alongside Basil Rajapaksa and Namal Rajapaksa.

A book chronicling the struggles and unique history of Eelam Tamils was launched in Jaffna last month.

The book, titled “Ethnic Cleansing of Tamils in Sri Lanka", is authored by Selvendra Sabaratnam the former president of the Valvettithura Citizens' Committee. He handed over the first copies of his book to former High Court judge and leader of the Tamil Makkal Thesiya Kootan (TMTK), C.V. Wigneswaran at the party office last month.

Speaking at the launch of his book, Sabaratnam said that many Western nations claim that Sri Lanka is a democracy.

“It is not a democracy, it is an ethnocracy,” he said. “They have given the power to one ethnic community. We have been enslaved and have been left to fend for our rights and our dignity. They do not respect our differences and instead, they try to wipe out our race. If we continue to do nothing, we will perish.”

“This book is an attempt to chronicle and document our struggle, so we preserve our stories.”

K.R. Ganesalingam, the head of the Department of Political Sciences at the University of Jaffna also spoke at the launch, stating this book was a brave attempt to document the massacre and cleansing of the Eelam Tamils.

Wigneswaran speaking at the launch, said that anyone who wishes to understand the struggles of the Eelam Tamils within the larger context of the Sri Lankan state should read this book. 

"In many instances, the Sinhalese leaders often ask us about the grievances of the Tamils and the unique experiences that Eelam Tamils have undergone which others in Sri Lanka have not,” he said. “However, we have tried our best to clarify these matters. It is articulated in this book, which will serve as a good reference for the future as well.”

The translation of the book in Sinhala and English is slated to be released in later versions.

Yanchan Rajmohan, professionally known as Yanchan Produced is a 29-year-old Tamil Canadian singer, mridangam player, and producer. Yanchan has gained recognition globally for his genre-bending style that brings together South Asian and Western Music, and recently became the first artist of Eelam origin to play their music for the National Basketball Association (NBA), performing at the first-ever Raptors South Asian Heritage Night.

The Tamil Guardian recently sat down with him to talk about his passion for Carnatic music, carving out a space for himself in the music industry, and Tamil resilience. 

“Carnatic music made me feel something” - Beginnings of Yanchan’s Career

His passion for music began at the early age of 6 when he enrolled in Carnatic vocal lessons. It was around this time that he happened to see a mridangam performance in a talent show and instantly fell in love. A double-sided drum that is typically made using a hollowed piece of jackfruit wood, the mridangam is the primary percussion instrument in Carnatic music. Upon hearing the instrument for the first time, 6-year-old Yanchan immediately asked his parents to learn how to play the instrument himself. The next week he would begin learning mridangam with his first mridangam guru, Shri Vasudevan Rajalingam. At the age of 8, Yanchan would perform his Mridangam Arangetram making him the youngest person to do so in Canada at the time. 

His early life was characterized by a deep love and curiosity for music, particularly Carnatic music. The artist recalled memories of visiting the Scarborough-based store “Gogulam” and buying Carnatic music CDs. “I would just go and grab CDs from different artists, from different eras… 1950s concerts to early 2000s,” he said. “I would fall asleep listening to Carnatic music.” It consumed every aspect of his life.

As he got older his passion for music continued to grow. When he was 13, Yanchan decided to move to Chennai for 3 months. He spoke of this trip as being a pivotal moment in his career, stating “I always wanted to be the highest standard, and I knew Chennai was the hub for Carnatic music.” 

When asked what drew him to Carnatic music at such a young age Yanchan replied, “There were certain scales in Carnatic music that would just touch me emotionally, it would take me to a different stratosphere.” He continued, “I just loved that feeling of listening to something and having it make me feel something, so I just kept chasing after that feeling.” Like many other kids growing up in the early 2000s, Yanchan still enjoyed R&B, Hip Hop, and Tamil cinema music, but for him, Carnatic music was something he could always return to, “I always knew that I could come back to Carnatic music as my home base.” 

“I feel like I can create something the world hasn’t heard before” - Blending South Asian and Western music

^{Canadian-Tamil music producer, Yanchan Produced, debuted YANCHAN PRODUCED LIVE in Toronto on March 15th, 2024 at The Don on Danforth, a one-of-a-kind live concert experience. Image credit: Janarth Loganathan (@hektickz)}

Yanchan’s passions were always supported by his parents, both of whom fled Sri Lanka as refugees during the genocide. He explained that wherever his mridangam took him his parents would follow. Upon graduating high school, he enrolled in the Business and Economics program at Wilfrid Laurier University. However, his dreams of creating music would cause him to drop out of the program, a decision that his parents worried about. Yanchan explains that his parents had been presented with an idea of what practical and successful careers look like, a music career was not among them. In the interview, Yanchan recounts the conversation he had when he sat his parents down and informed them he wanted to pursue music professionally. He told his parents,

“It’s going to be something that you are not going to really understand, it involves the mridangam and Carnatic music, but I really feel like I can do something the world hasn’t heard before.”

Despite their initial hesitation, his parents would take a chance and support him in the pursuit of his dream. 

Yanchan would eventually enroll in the Audio Engineering Program at Trebas College. “There were 50 students that came from all walks of life, only five people graduated," he detailed. "I was one of those five.”

His audio engineering diploma would give him the basic skills of music production, theory, and mixing. Equipped with this new knowledge he taught himself how to produce by experimenting with new mixes and watching tutorials on YouTube. Through this experimentation, he found himself wondering why he had never heard Carnatic samples in hip hop. Yanchan explained that he wanted to make Carnatic music more accessible. “Our culture is so rich in music, I just have to find a way to make it cool in the [western] environment.” 

Straddling the boundaries of his identity as a first-generation Tamil, Yanchan is driven by the desire to bring the beauty of South Indian music to the West, “I want to be able to turn on the radio and there is a song I produced with a Tamil lyric in it.” When asked about overcoming the challenges of carving out a space for himself in the music industry Yanchan explains that it was important that he never lost sight of who he is. 

“I never lost who I was. I have been in so many studio rooms with many different artists who do not have a background in Tamil music, they don’t know about Carnatic music. I make it a point that by the time I leave the studio session, they will know what the mridangam is, they will know something about Tamil culture.”

It was through this persistence and a strong sense of self that Yanchan could create a space for his unique sound. “I am able to get into more rooms now, when I work with other producers they want my drum, they want my sonics.” Yanchan also spoke about how the music environment is changing. “We are living in a time where the top 10 hits on the billboard are not just one genre, everything is a hybrid,” he continues. “This is the same dream I have, I see a day when a huge Tamil artist can collaborate with a non-Tamil artist from North America."

The process of building a bridge between South Asian and Western music is one that Yanchan explains requires a lot of trial and error. He continues to say that this process demanded him to “lean into the fear” of doing something that hadn’t previously been done before. Much of the struggle came from the difficulties of blending contrasting sounds and genres whilst attempting to maintain the essence of the originals. Through repetition he has trained his ears to do just that, he adds, “I think with anything in life, if you are consistent eventually you will find a system that works.”

Mridangam Raps, Arul, and Raptors South Asian Heritage Night

In the pursuit of making Carnatic music more accessible, Yanchan would strike up a friendship with another Tamil-Canadian artist, Shan Vincent de Paul, also known as SVDP. The two would collaborate on a series that would quickly gain popularity across the world called “Mridangam Raps”. The series consisted of the two artists sitting across from each other with Yanchan playing the mridangam and SVDP rapping. The grounded rhythm of Yanchan’s mridangam provides an unexpected medium for SVDP’s unapologetic and unfiltered lyricism. Mridangam Raps reimagines both rap and Carnatic music, pushing boundaries and seamlessly blending the two strikingly different genres. 

In 2023, Yanchan released his work with Carnatic vocalist Sandeep Narayan, an EP titled “Arul”. Their paths first crossed when 13-year-old Yanchan was living in Chennai, years later in 2020 Narayan would reach out to Yanchan with the proposal of a collaboration. During the pandemic, the two would experiment together through online sessions and would eventually create the song “Tradition” which would later go viral on social media. When asked about the significance of Arul, Yanchan said, “It was the first step of what I really wanted to do, I want to bring carnatic music into places that people wouldn’t really think of, and I think that is what we really accomplished with Arul.”

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Music Producer (@yanchanproduced)

On 2 April 2024, Yanchan brought his love for Carnatic music and Tamil culture to the Scotiabank Arena for the first-ever Raptors South Asian Heritage Night. He played the mridangam for a crowd of approximately 20,000 people. Yanchan described the experience as being surreal, the event took place on the same day that the Raptors played the Lakers, and he recalls thinking “LeBron James might see me play the mridangam.” For Yanchan, playing the mridangam in the Scotiabank Arena has been a lifelong dream. 

“It was truly such a surreal experience. I didn’t realize the impact it would have on the community from just me talking about the mridangam in the interview, talking about Scarborough, talking about Tamil heritage. It was definitely a crazy moment in my life.”

“You have to fight for what you want and I think Tamil people have had to do that time and time again” - Tamil Resilience and Representation

Yanchan’s Tamilness is a central feature of his art, when asked about how being Tamil has shaped his music he explained that he constantly finds inspiration in the resilience of his parents and of the Tamil community. 

“I always tell people that in our blood Tamil people have a willingness to survive. Time and time again you hear stories of the immigrant hustle. My parents both fled the war, came to Canada, worked two jobs, took care of me and my sister, and found a way to survive.”

Yanchan continues,

 “Through my music, I want to show other people that if you try hard enough eventually things will start happening for you. I think that is what happened to Tamil people, you look at Tamil people all over the world they made something happen out of nothing. I have a studio because my parents worked hard and gave me the opportunity to chase my dream, that’s why there is so much love I put into my music. You have to fight for what you want and I think Tamil people have had to do that time and time again.”

Favorite project and future plans

Image credit: Eliot Kim (@eliotkim_)

When asked what his favorite project has been so far Yanchan replied, “Looking back a lot has been done, but producing a song for Shruti and Kamal Haasan is definitely up there.” Yanchan is referring to the song " Inimel " released earlier this year. He continues, “I did imagine what it would be like to meet people of this caliber, but to be able to produce a whole song, and to have a friendship with someone like Shruti Haasan has been crazy.” 

The Toronto-based artist says he is constantly working on new things, his latest project being a collab EP with UK-based artist Tha Mystro. The EP is titled “Pudhu Wave” has been in the works for 2 years and is executively produced by Yanchan. The project is set to release this summer. 

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^{Lead photograph credit: Eliot Kim (@eliotkim_)}

Self-determination for the Eelam Tamil people is the “main solution” to the enduring ethnic conflict on the island, said US House Representative Wiley Nickel, after he introduced a historic resolution to the US Congress last week.

Speaking with the Tamil Guardian at his office in Washington D.C., Representative Nickel said the resolution was “an important first step” in leading US action on the island.

“I think this is a very important first step in making our voice heard here in the United States about the situation in Sri Lanka, the persecution of the Tamil community, and the need for self-determination,” said Nickel.

“That's really the main solution here. I think this can be done in a peaceful way.”

The resolution, which was co-sponsored by seven other Congress members from both major parties, calls for the “nonrecurrence of past violence, including the Tamil Genocide, by supporting the right to self-determination of Eelam Tamil people and their call for an independence referendum for a lasting peaceful resolution”.

Nickel, a former Obama staffer, went on to speak on how the resolution was already seeing “very good initial support from members of Congress” and beyond, stating he was “very optimistic about where we're going to be”.

“I had a wonderful meeting with a bipartisan group of Canadian Members of Parliament,” he added. “They were very excited to hear that we're going to be joining their leadership as well.”

Nickel added that recognising the genocide of Tamils was also a key step.

“The data, the evidence is clear,” he said. “President Obama in his autobiography weighed in on the lack of support from the UN in the obvious genocide that was happening in Sri Lanka.”

“I think that's an important first part of this, this whole process, and until that's addressed it's going to be a lot more difficult to get to the bigger issues.”

When asked about support for an independence referendum for Eelam Tamils, Nickel responded by stating “I believe it should happen in Sri Lanka”.

“We need to lead with our values here in the United States,” he said. “The right to self-determination is especially important and you just have to look back at our history to know why it's so important here in the United States.”

Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Dinesh Gunwardena rejected the notion that his government was caught in a Chinese ‘debt trap’ and instead praised Beijing for standing by Colombo “to overcome terrorism”.

“Sri Lanka, as I mentioned, has always respected, trusted, and committed to development with China. China’s help, and assistance have been for our development,” he told Chinese media last month.

“When we were in difficulty, China helped us. When our territorial integrity was being threatened, our unitary state was about to be dispersed, China stood by Sri Lanka to overcome terrorism and to hold the unitary state for all of our countrymen today.”

“China helped us as the first country to give the strongest support along with all of our friendly countries and institutions,” he continued. “Since then, the Sri Lankan economy has picked up from minus.”

Full Video: Exclusive Interview with Hon. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena (English version) #ChinaSriLankaFriendship #PrimeMinister #Interview pic.twitter.com/j8jqcxYUIh

— Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka (@ChinaEmbSL) April 25, 2024

Gunawardena went on to praise China as “a great nation of the world,” and said Sri Lanka has much to learn from China’s path to prosperity. “We understand China's path,” he claimed.

During his last visit, Gunawardena said China had offered to “assist Sri Lanka debt restructuring” while “extending assistance to develop Katunayake International Airport, Hambantota Sea Port, and the Port City in Colombo.

China remains Sri Lanka's biggest two-way lender, with its companies building highways, seaports and airports and other infrastructure on the island.

The Sri Lankan military has put up decorations and lanterns around the Ariyakulam tank in Jaffna, an important Tamil heritage site, as part of efforts to celebrate the Buddhist festival of Vesak – despite not having the approval of the local municipality. 

The Municipal commissioner told reporters that the Sri Lankan army had undertaken the Vesak decoration without prior approval from the city council. The Jaffna Municipal Council also stated that it had decided to prohibit decorations from the vicinity of the Ariyakulam tank.

The move is seen by many as an extension of Buddhisation by the state and military to claim historical sites belonging to Tamils as part of the Buddhist culture. 

It comes as the Sri Lankan state continues efforts across the North-East to colonise and build Buddhist structures in traditionally Tamil areas.