Protests and boycott campaign hit Canada’s Tamil Fest

Tamil Fest, an annual street festival organised by the Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC) to celebrate Tamil culture and identity, was marred by controversy, after protests demanded the organisation apologise for meeting with accused war criminal Mahinda Rajapaksa in Sri Lanka last year.

In the run up to the festival several community and student groups had called for a boycott of CTC, citing the organisation’s involvement with the Sri Lankan government-approved ‘Himalaya Declaration’ initiative and subsequent meeting with Rajapaksa. The move triggered outrage last year, with widespread condemnation from the Tamil diaspora who called it a ‘betrayal beyond belief’.

With controversy over CTC swirling, several vendors withdrew their participation from Tamil Fest in the days leading to the festival, whilst a few even pulled out on the day itself. Major vendors, such as Vijaya Jewellers, a title sponsor, were amongst those to withdraw their support. Many of those who did so complained that CTC refused to issue refunds.

“By proceeding with this event amidst widespread calls for accountability and reform, the CTC has chosen to ignore the community’s concerns, risking unnecessary conflict and division,” said the Canadian Tamil Collective.

As the festival gates opened, protestors stood at the entrance and by the main stage, demanding a boycott.

Tamil Nadu playback singer Srinivas, who controversially performed in Colombo last year and took a song request from Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe, also had to cut his scheduled performance at Tamil Fest short, when the stage was pelted with eggs as he stepped out on to it.

Several thousand people did attend the festival, which takes place in Toronto, home to the largest Eelam Tamil diaspora population outside of the island. Attendees however confirmed that the numbers were significantly smaller than in previous years.

“I had the privilege of witnessing the protests on social media and in person over the course of the weekend," Darshika Selvasivam, a community organiser, told the Tamil Guardian. "Considering the pain and anguish people continue to feel, as a result of being silenced, the protests were creative, impactful and responsibly organized." 

"It is the responsibility of any organizer to de-escalate conflict and ensure participants are able to safely engage in acts of civil disobedience. The protest at Tamil Fest continued to achieve their goal of holding the Canadian Tamil Congress accountable for Genocide denial, and urging the Congress to respond to the demands of the Canadian Tamil Collective.”

^{A post from CTC's Facebook Page.}

In an attempt to dampen the protests, CTC sent out a press release on its Instagram account stating that it recognises the genocide of the Tamil people and that it has formally withdrawn its support for the Himalayan Declaration.

On their Facebook page they went on to post photographs from Tamil Fest, including of the Tamil Eelam flag and map placed on one of the stalls at the festival. Tamil Eelam songs were also played on loudspeakers throughout the festival grounds.

^{A vendor at Tamil Fest.}

“Actions by the CTC with regards to the Himalayan Declaration and the posing for photographs by a member of the CTC with former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, the man ultimately responsible for the genocide of our Tamil people, were a great mistake,” said CTC president Kumar Ratnam at the festival.

“The impact of these decisions on our community is immeasurable. As a member and as a Tamil I can understand the pain that has been brought back to you due to these wrong decisions. As the president of CTC I wholeheartedly ask for forgiveness from the Tamil community for the mistakes made by us. I also pledge that mistakes like these will not happen in future.”

The apology however has not quelled the anger of the Tamil Canadian community and leaves the future of the festival in the balance.

“By embracing the boycott and participating in the protest. Tamil Canadians have sent a clear message against individuals or organizations betraying Tamil people by colluding with the genocidal Sri Lankan state, in undermining the aspirations of the Tamil people,” said the National Council of Canadian Tamils (NCCT). “Tamil Canadians will exercise their fundamental rights and freedoms to expose them and hold them accountable.”

“Until such time the CTC publicly accepts all their acts of betrayal committed against the Tamil people since 2009 and those involved are publicly held accountable, we urge everyone to continue to boycott the CTC and all its activities.”