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Tamils

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The Tamil people are a South Asian community numbering more than seventy million and living mostly in Tamil Nadu state and neighbouring areas in south-eastern India (65 million), in the north and east of Sri Lanka (three million), in Malaysia (two million), Singapore (approx 200,000) and Canada (approx 200,000, most in Toronto). There are also pockets of Tamil communities living in Madagascar, Seychelles Islands, Australia, South Africa, Mauritius, Trinidad and many European countries.

The spread of Tamils around the world has occurred in two stages - emigration (often forced) within the British Empire as workers, and refugees leaving Sri Lanka due to the ethnic conflict there.

Nearly all Tamils speak the Tamil language, one of the Dravidian tongues once spoken widely across the Indian subcontinent but now largely confined to its southern quarter. Tamils have a stronger ethno-linguistic identity than other Indian language groups and distinguish themselves from Indian groups speaking (Sanskrit-derived) Indo-Aryan languages.

Most Tamils are Hindu, with significant minorities being Christian or Muslim.

Tamils as Tamilians

Using the term Tamil to refer to people of Tamil origin is sometimes considered Anglicised; the more popular usage among Indians being the term Tamilians. (Singular: Tamilian).

Ethnic problems

Tamilians faced many ethinic problems.

In India

After independence, Tamilians felt they and their dravidian race were ignored by the rest of the Indians. The Tamilian freedom fighters were not recognized by the ruling Indian government; the Hindi language was nationalized; there was less importance/positions given to Tamilians--and many such incidents made many Tamilians to think about their Dravidian identity. And around 1960's, the Dravidian parties captured the politics from Congress. They fought for separate dravidian land and Dravidian independence under the leadership of Annadurai--but such stir was controlled by Indian government with the help of military. However few of Tamilians norms such as Tamil alone as ruling language for Tamil Nadu were accepted by the Indian government. Still many Tamilians feel proud for involving in Tamilian independence.

The rest of the Indians illtreated few Tamilians especially who emigrated to their place. Still some ethnic problems against Tamilians can be widely seen in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Bombay, and many places in India.

Some conspiracy theories say the legends such as Sivaji Ganesan, Ilayaraaja haven't identified/respected because of their Tamilian identity.

Significantly though, after A.R. Rahman, Tamilians are started identifying in the rest of the Indian community. Unlike others A.R. Rahman avoided ethnic identity especially his Tamil identity. Also, after Abdul Kalam the situation has much improved.

Ethnic slurs against Tamilians

  • Kali Madharasee - (Hindi) Black Tamilians
  • Pandikaran - (Malayalam) Man belongs to Pandi land (the land name is used in disgracing tone).

In Sri Lanka

See: Ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka

Famous Tamilians