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"To me, it means freedom. That is the ultimate goal that Pongu Thamizh strives for." - Travis Ratnam, Electrical Engineering, University of Waterloo

"The importance of Pongu Thamil is the strong need for us to be united and to express our struggle and hardship that we've faced in Sri Lanka." - Vinthan Mahalingam, Commerce, Ryerson University

�Pongu Thamil represents the spirit of the Thamil people, that we will not wait patiently and passively for the SLG to continue to betray the peace treaty, but that we will organize and actively call for an enduring peace.� - Tasha Manoranjan, Peace Studies, Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA

With just a day left before the �Pongu Tamil� demonstration at Queens Park this Saturday(tomorrow), the entire Tamil community has been immersed in the excitement and sweet anticipation of the landmark event. Pongu Tamil has become topic of choice in conversations across dinner tables, public gatherings, internet chatrooms/forums, print media articles, radio airways and television. Posters can be seen wallpapered in Tamil stores, Pongu Tamil signs have been erected at key intersections and cars are adorned with Pongu Tamil flyers. Businesses are even going to the extent of voluntarily closing down and workers are taking a leave from work, all just for Pongu Tamil.

The enormous response from the community shows how deeply and intensely Tamils feel about Pongu Tamil. The young but vibrant history of Pongu Tamil can be traced back to early 2001 in Northern Sri Lanka, where, spearheaded by the students of Jaffna University, Tamils staged the first ever Pongu Tamil rally. Despite an ethos of fear and intimidation created by the Sri Lankan armed forces, the event turned out be a huge success, and has since spread like wildfire across greater Tamileelam and the diaspora communities in all corners of the world.

The overwhelming response from the community is also a reflection of the hard effort and work put into organizing the event by the Canadian Tamil Students� Association (CTSA) and the many student and community volunteers. Long painstaking hours were spent in the planning of the event to the very last detail, including reaching out to the community, communicating and coordinating with various students, cultural and social organizations across the province, programs, media relations etc.

Much like the first of the Pongu Tamil rallies, the secret to the success of the Pongu Tamil in Canada lies in the interest that it has generated within the youth and student communities. TorontoTamil.com learnt that excitement about the event has been so huge with Tamil youths that bus rides are being chartered from Ottawa, Waterloo, Montreal and even the United States, all this just to be a part of Pongu Tamil.

In stark contrast to the admirable efforts by the Tamil youths, sinister elements are also shamelessly working to undermine the show of solidarity by the Tamil community. Fringe Tamils numbering at no more than eight people and extremist Sinhala expatriates supported by the Sri Lankan Government have been busy trying to disrupt the event, TorontoTamil.com learnt from sources close to the Sri Lankan High Commission in Canada.

Tabloid blogsheets tried to create confusion by claiming that the event was cancelled. These hate mongers also hired help to hand out flyers in the downtown area to vilify the Pongu Tamil event and spread falsehoods about the Tamil people�s struggle for their fundamental rights.

Pongu Tamil is being organized by Canadian Tamil students to urge the Canadian Government to actively support the Sri Lanka Peace Process. The rally will call for pressure on the Government of Sri Lanka to immediately resume the stalled peace talks with the Liberation Tigers on the basis of the ISGA proposal. Pongu Tamil will also call on the government of Canada to provide a fresh impetus for the resumption of the peace talks by offering Canada as a venue for the next round of peace talks.

All signs indicate that this year�s Pongu Tamil will mark an important milestone in the history of Canadian Tamils. Twenty years from now, when Canadian Tamils tell their children about the great events in Canadian history like the Lecavalier goal in the world cup, they will also be telling their children that they were a part of the monumental 2004 Pongu Tamil in Canada. Where will you be during Pongu Tamil?

Stay posted with TorontoTamil.com for coverage on Pongu Tamil.