A TAMIL language teaching program funded by the government of India has been launched at Penang Sangam School in Rakiraki.
The program has been implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Then India Sanmarga Ikya (TISI) Sangam.
Indian High Commissioner Palaniswamy Karthigeyan said two Tamil teachers from India would be based at Penang Sangam and Sangam Primary School in Labasa to conduct Tamil classes for students and interested community members.
He said the revival of the language, one of the oldest classical languages in the world, had been a long pending demand of the Fiji Indian community, especially the descendants of the Girmitiya who came to Fiji from present day Tamil Nadu in the early 20th century.
“Subsequent to the visit of the External Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar to Fiji in February 2023 for the 12th World Hindi Conference and his meeting with the diaspora representatives, the government of India approved the proposal to depute Tamil teachers from India to Fiji.
“Thanks to this initiative, the Tamil language, which had almost disappeared in Fiji, will be taught again in the country after about 80 years.”
Mr Karthigeyan stressed the important role of language in preserving and shaping culture and fostering greater understanding between various communities.
He encouraged the people of Fiji to use the opportunity to learn the Tamil language.
Conveying his appreciation for the assistance from the Fijian Government and the Sangam leadership in launching the program, Mr Karthigeyan expressed that the people-centric initiative would lead to further strengthening of the special and enduring bond between India and Fiji.
