2nd Lead (Adds video clip with Thamilchelvan's address)

Record crowds throng Canada's Pongu Thamil

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 September 2004, 17:31 GMT]
Canadian Tamil Radio (CTR) broadcasters estimated a record gathering of close to 75,000 people at the Pongu Thamil (Tamil uprising) event at Queens Park in Toronto Saturday afternoon. Addressing the Pongu Thamil gathering, Mr. Michael Prue, MPP for East York and Beaches said he has been a politician for 18 years, was born and raised in Toronto and that he has never seen a crowd like he saw today in the history of Queens Park lawn.

(Click on the arrow to see video clip)

Attendees at the event said two large LCD screens were organized for the overflow crowd to view the event.

Mr. Jack Layton, MP and Leader of New Democratic Party (NDP) said that stereotyping will not be tolarated in any form in Canada. Every citizen has equal right and has the right of enjoy all freedom equally and there are no second class citizens in Canada. He said he regretted the refusal of visa for the tamil parliamentarians who wanted to come to Canada to participate in this occasion. He assured he would take up this matter with the appropriate authorities.




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"By all accounts Pongu Thamil has displayed growing political strength of Thamil Canadians and has eclipsed all previous events," a senior Tamil activist told TamilNet correspondent in Toronto.

Canadian Tamil Students Association is the driving force behind this event. "Thousands of students across the park clad in yellow T-shirts actively participated and helped in the smooth running of the event and all Tamils appreciated the efforts of our youths," said a caller to the CTR radio.

The student organizers said that the Pongu Thamil will urge,

• the Government of Sri Lanka to recommence immediately peace talks on the basis of the Interim Self-Governing Authority (ISGA) proposal submitted by the Liberation Tigers of Thamil Eelam (LTTE) without further prevarications or conditions.
• the Canadian Government to pressure the GOSL to take forward the stalled peace process on the basis of the ISGA proposal, which has received the mandate of the Thamil people and the backing of the international community,
• the Canadian Government to host the peace talks between the GOSL and LTTE in Canada as a practical demonstration of its support to the peace process, and
• the international community to understand and appreciate the hopes and genuine aspirations of the people of Thamil Eelam who have long been oppressed by majoritarian Sinhala dominated governments.

Toronto Transport Company (TTC) made special arrangements for subway trains to run every 3 minutes instead of the usual 5 minutes for the benefit of event attendees, organizers said, expressing their appreciation to the TTC.

The Pongu Thamil celebrations was broadcast/telecast alive around the globe. CTR radio said that in Toronto area broadcasts were only available through the internet from 2pm when the Pongu Thamil event was scheduled to begin