Venkat Raman
Auckland, July 24, 2023
The Wellington-based Aotearoa New Zealand Federation of Tamil Sangams (ANTS) re-elected most of its office-bearers for the year at its Annual General Meeting held in Auckland on Sunday, July 23, 2023.
Dr Luxmanan Selvanesan is the sole newcomer to the post of General Secretary while Raveen Annamalai, Vai Ravindran and Srinivasan Jaganathan retained their respective uncontested posts of President, Vice-President and Treasurer.
Dr Selvanesan was elected through a ballot following a straight contest.
Details of the members of the Executive Committee are expected to be announced shortly.
Mr Annamalai, Mr Ravindran and Mr Jaganathan are respectively Presidents of the Wellington Muthamil Sangam, Auckland Tamil Association and Tamil Society Waikato (Hamilton). Dr Selvanesan is on the governance board of the Dunedin Tamil Society as a representative of ANTS.
Tamil-Maori Hui
The Annual General Meeting of ANTS followed a Hui held in conjunction with Maori at the Papakura Marae on Saturday, July 22, 2023.
The Programme comprised panel sessions under the following themes: 1. Language Resurgence: Uniting Generations, Reviving Voices 2. Unleashing the Power: Trailblazing Tamil and Maori Women Leaders 3. Cultivating Dual Legacies: Empowering Tamil and Maori Youth and 4. Embrace, Adapt, Thrive: Conquering Culture Shock with Confidence.
The event included cultural performances presented by local artists.
Among the speakers at the event were Labour Party MP (Mt Roskill) Michael Wood, Manurewa MP (Labour Party) Arena Williams and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Iwi and Communities) Wallace Haumaha and others.
Mr Annamalai told Indian Newslink that the Hui was well attended and that the programme, aimed at fostering closer Tamil-Maori relations was successful.
“We are very pleased that this Hui enabled the members of our Federation to interact with the Maori and other resident communities in Auckland. We are grateful to the Maori leaders and the New Zealand Police for the opportunity and their love and patronage. We look forward to organising such meetings in the future. We hope that we can hold such interactive sessions in other parts of New Zealand. The Hui held in Rotorua from July 1 to July 3, 2022 set the tempo for our meaningful engagement. We are grateful to everyone involved with the Auckland Hui,” he said.
Dr Selvanesan said that he looked forward to the guidance of his seniors in ANTS in his role as the General Secretary of the Federation.
“I thank the members of ANTS for the confidence reposed in me by electing me to the post of General Secretary. I will work with the office-bearers of the Federation to promote the aims and objectives of the Federation. I hope that my experience at the Dunedin Tamil Society and as Chairman of the Dunedin Multiethnic Council will be useful,” he said.
Strengthening the Tamil bond
Mr Annamalai said that ANTS is committed to promoting the get-together and connectedness of Tamil Sangams and Associations and people of Tamil origin or Tamil-speaking people in New Zealand.
“The Federation will cultivate, promote, foster and develop the advancement of knowledge in Tamil language, literature and culture and to participate actively in the development of a culturally pluralistic and socially cohesive society,” Mr Annamalai said.
He said that networking with other Sangams offers possibilities of connectivity, stability and increased resources. ANTS meets this need and provides for developing connectivity among the Tamil Communities in New Zealand, he said.
“The primary objective of ANTS is the preservation and growth of Tamil Language, Culture, and Community. We are a growing community where our projects are crucial for the well-being of our community. The projects that we undertake would serve as a testimony to New Zealand’s legacy as a culturally pluralistic and socially cohesive country. As the central organisation of a community with growing numbers and importance to New Zealand, ANTS will play an influential role in various aspects,” Mr Annamalai said.
