As we headed into the month of May, I was thinking of ways in which I would hold space for us, us Tamil/Thamil/Thamizh folks. May 18 is Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day. This day is observed by Tamil people, to remember those who died in the war. It is named after Mullivaikkal, which is a village on the north-east coast of Sri Lanka which was the scene of the final battle of the civil war.
As this is a very difficult time for all of us, especially those that have experienced first hand of this war, and those that have lost loved ones to the hands of this genocide inflicted by the Sri Lankan government, it is a time we mourn and reflect on what has and still is happening to our people back home.
As we remember all of the people that we lost, I wanted to remember why our Tamil existence is so beautiful. One of the ways in which we can do that, is to understand our language, our roots, our culture. Someone who is helping us preserve all of that, is Kanaga Books. In this episode, Abi (founder), talks to me about where this journey of Tamil books started, how she found a passion project through her lived experiences, and how she encourages others to embrace and continue learning our beautiful Tamil language.
During times of darkness, we have to remind ourselves of the light that we can bring into these spaces. I hope all of you are taking care of your mental health, and holding space for yourself, so you can reflect and heal. Enjoy.