Singapore, February 20 Three Indians based in Indonesia, Switzerland, and Singapore, along with a professor from Tamil Nadu, were recognized by a 74-year-old organization in Singapore this week for their contribution to promoting South Indian language and culture.
The revived "Tamils Festival 2026 Global Tamils Awards" ceremony was held by the Tamils Arts and Culture Society (TACS) in collaboration with local and international Tamil organizations, according to the Singapore-based weekly publication, Tabla!
The weekly report stated that this was a concerted effort to preserve the Tamil language, arts, and culture for the next generation.
The festival, held on Tuesday, was originally established in 1952 by the late Tamil newspaper founder, Thamizhavel G. Sarangapany, to foster community bonding.
TACS chairman, Ma. Govindarasu, highlighted that the primary objective of the festival is to rekindle the spirit of unity and togetherness championed by Sarangapany in the 1950s, which transcended caste and religious lines.
"Just as other communities come together during their festivals by setting aside differences, Tamils should unite under the 'Tamils Festival' celebration," the tabloid quoted Govindarasu as saying.
He emphasized the need to understand the deeper significance of cultural practices, from drawing kolams to respecting elders, and passing these traditions on to the youth.
The ceremony recognized individuals who have made significant contributions to Tamil in various fields, including literature, arts, and technology.
A key recipient was Prof. Thamizhpparithi Maari from Tamil Nadu, who received the Sorkalanjiya Semmal (Lexicon Expert) award. He has been credited with helping elevate the Tamil language from the 24th to the 7th position among 174 languages in global online dictionary structures, and hopes to take it to the No. 1 spot, surpassing English, within the next three years.
"My goal is to adapt Tamil for the artificial intelligence era. This will help not just humans, but machines, to understand Tamil," Prof. Thamizhpparithi was quoted as saying.
Dr. Visagan Mailachalam, Chairman of the Indonesia Tamil Sangam, received the Lifetime Tamil Literary award. He noted that Tamil education efforts in Indonesia have expanded from four to 10 schools, with the help of teachers appointed by the Indian government. "Our target is to take Tamil to 2,000 children by 2026," Dr. Visagan said.
Dr. Gangaimagan, a Tamil poet and writer based in Switzerland, was also honored in this category for his efforts to further Tamil education overseas. He received the Lifetime Tamil Literary award and released his ninth book at the event titled "Gangaimagan Kavithaigal," which interprets ancient Tamil poetry for the modern generation.
Vicknesvari Vadivalagan, a multidisciplinary media artiste from Singapore, was honored with the "Isai Tamil Semmal" (Music Expert) award for her 48-year contribution to the field as a student, artiste, and teacher.