New Zealand Tamils plant trees to perpetuate memory of heroes

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 November 2012, 02:13 GMT]
In a novel way of remembering the Eezham Tamil heroes, the New Zealand Tamils planted trees in their country of domicile during the Heroes Day week. Almost all the Tamil community organisations in New Zealand participated the programme that took place on Sunday. “By planting trees we have conveyed a message to the people of New Zealand that what has happened in our home country was not merely war crimes or crimes against humanity but a full-fledged genocide,” said veteran civil society activist and QSM awardee, Mr. A. Theva Rajan, who presided over the programme.

“It is our duty to continue the struggle from the point where the heroes left it,” Theva Rajan observed, while speaking at the event.

Some powers are still hesitant to accept that what has happened in the island was genocide. Our efforts should persist until the world sees the injustice committed on us, the civil activist said.

“The Public will know for ages that these trees were planted in memory of the heroes who laid down their lives in protecting their people. The impact is not going to stop with this event. As long as these trees exist, the impact would continue,” he further said.

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