Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America#Criticism

FeTNA organizes an annual North American Tamil convention. Established in 1988, the conventions are held during the 4th of July weekend, in a different city every year.{{cite web|url=http://www.fetna.org/english/eng-about.htm |title=FeTNA: About Us |access-date=2006-08-06 |author=Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061025171427/http://www.fetna.org/english/eng-about.htm |archive-date = October 25, 2006}} Conventions can attract over two thousand attendees from all over North America.

Invited guests typically include Tamil writers, actors, musicians, and politicians from a variety of political parties in India and Sri Lanka.{{cite news|last1=Suhasini|first1=Gloria|title=2,000 attend Tamil meet in U.S.|url=http://asiantribune.com/news/2003/07/08/2000-attend-tamil-meet-us|access-date=23 December 2015|agency=Indo-Asian News Service|publisher=Asian Tribune|date=8 July 2003}}{{cite news | url=http://www.ciindia.com/News/fetna19072006.htm | title=Business and cultural forums mark achievements of community | publisher=South Asian Insider | date=2006-07-14 | access-date=2006-08-07| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070929171951/http://www.ciindia.com/News/fetna19072006.htm| archive-date = September 29, 2007}}{{cite news | url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=12349 | title=Gajendrakumar on U.S. visit | publisher=TamilNet | date=2004-07-05 | access-date=2006-08-07}}{{cite news | url=http://www.rediff.com/us/2000/jul/06us2.htm | title=The grand Tamil reunion | publisher=Rediff | date=2002-07-06 | access-date=2006-08-07}}

The annual conventions were held jointly with the Indian-American Tamil Nadu Foundation until 2002; the two groups have held separate conventions starting in 2003.{{cite news |url=http://www.ntyo.org/kolangal/president.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031114130927/http://www.ntyo.org/kolangal/president.htm |url-status=usurped |archive-date=2003-11-14 |title=Letter from the President |publisher=Kolangal (National Tamil Youth Association newsletter) |date=2002–2003 |access-date=2006-08-07 }}

The 32nd convention was held along with World Tamil Conference from July 3–7, 2019 in Chicago.

FeTNA sponsors visits from two Tamil scholars to the United States each year; as of 2006, it had sponsored a total of 24 scholars.{{cite news | url=https://www.iexpressusa.com/new/articles/display_news.php?newsid=2567&from=news | title=Glimpses of rich past at FeTNA's Manhattan date | publisher=The Indian Express (North American Edition) | date=2006-08-04 | access-date=2006-08-07 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071009121140/https://www.iexpressusa.com/new/articles/display_news.php?newsid=2567&from=news | archive-date=2007-10-09 | url-status=dead }} It has also been involved in the sponsorship of a Tamil Chair at the University of California, Berkeley{{cite web|url=http://tamil.berkeley.edu/Tamil%20Chair/Background.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/19981203004621/http://tamil.berkeley.edu/Tamil%20Chair/Background.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=1998-12-03 |title=Tamil Chair Background |access-date=2006-08-07 |author=UC Berkeley Center for South Asia Studies }} and the Tamil Studies program at the University of Toronto.{{cite web |url=http://tamilstudies.org/contribute.html |title=TamilStudies.org: Contribute |access-date=2006-08-07 |author=University of Toronto Tamil Studies Coordinating Committee |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060908110718/http://www.tamilstudies.org/contribute.html |archive-date=2006-09-08 |url-status=dead }}

FeTNA plays an active role in fundraising for disaster relief work in response to crises like the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and the 2004 Kumbakonam school fire.{{cite news | url=http://news.ncmonline.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=9e3cba8a9bdfb9dad3a3f97286cbfa36 | title=South Asian Americans Confront Tsunami with Faith and Fundraisers | publisher=India-West | date=2004-12-31 | access-date=2006-08-07 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060108192710/http://news.ncmonline.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=9e3cba8a9bdfb9dad3a3f97286cbfa36 | archive-date=2006-01-08 | url-status=dead }} In June 2005, the group reported that it had raised $37,965.79 for tsunami relief (disbursed through the Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, and Exnora International){{cite web|url=http://www.fetna.org/FeTNA%20Tsunami%20Relief%20fund%20update%20060105.doc |title=FeTNA Tsunami Relief fund update 20060105 |access-date=2006-09-05 | author=Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America|format=Word|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060514122602/http://www.fetna.org/FeTNA%2520Tsunami%2520Relief%2520fund%2520update%2520060105.doc |archive-date = May 14, 2006}} and $16,020.43 for victims of the Kumbakonam school fire (disbursed through the Kumbakonam Lions Club).{{cite web|url=http://www.fetna.org/Web%20Update%20Kumbakonam%20060105.doc |title=Update (6-01-05) - Kumbakonam Fire Relief Fund |access-date=2006-09-05 | author=Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America|format=MS Word|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060514122311/http://www.fetna.org/Web%2520Update%2520Kumbakonam%2520060105.doc |archive-date = May 14, 2006}}

The Federation was founded in 1987 by five American Tamil sangams: Ilankai Tamil Sangam, Tamil Association of Delaware Valley, Tamil Sangam of Washington & Baltimore, New York Tamil Sangam and Harrisburg Tamil Sangam. As of May 2025, FeTNA's website links to the websites of the following member organizations:

: Alabama Tamil Sangam, Arizona Tamil Sangam, Austin Tamizh Sangam, Bharathi Kalai Mandram, Boston Thamil Association, Canada Tamil Sangam, Canadian Tamil Congress, Carolina Tamil Sangam, Central Illinois Tamil Sangam, Chicago Tamil Sangam, Columbus Tamil Sangam, Connecticut Tamil Sangam, Dallas Tamil Manram, Greater Atlanta Tamil Sangam, Greater Charlotte Tamil Sangam, Greater Cincinnati Tamil Sangam, Greater Houston Tamil Sangam, Greater Milwaukee Tamil Sangam, Greater Portland Tamil Mandram, Harrisburg Area Tamil Sangam, Houston Tamil Studies Chair, Illankai Tamil Sangam of Chicago, Illanti Tamil Sangam USA Inc, Iowa Tamil Association, Jacksonville Tamil Mandram, Kansas City Tamil Sangam, Kentucky Tamil Sangam, Las Vegas Tamil Sangam, Metroplex Tamil Sangam, Michigan Tamil Sangam, Midsouth Tamil Sangam, Minnesota Tamil Sangam, National Council of Canadian Tamils, New England Tamil Sangam, New Jersey Tamil Peravai, New Jersey Tamil Sangam, New York Albany Tamil Sangam, New York Tamil Sangam, Oklahoma Tamil Sangam, Ottawa Tamil Association, Panai Nilam Tamil Sangam, Pittsburgh Tamil Sangam, Rhode Island Tamil Sangam, Richmond Tamil Sangam, Sacramento Tamil Mandrum, San Antonio Tamil Sangam, San Francisco Bay Area Tamil Manram, Seattle Tamil Sangam, Tamil Association of Colorado, Tamil Association of Greater Delaware Valley, Tamil Eelam Society of Canada, Tamil Makkal Mandram, Tamil Sangam of Greater Washington, Tamil Sangam of Missouri, Tamil Sangam of Virginia Unc, Tamil Sneham, Tamils of Northern California, Tennesse Tamizh Sangam, The Tamils of Greater Rochester, Then Poovaga Tamil Sangam, TwinCities Tamil Association, Wisconsin Tamil Sangam, American Tamil Academy (Associate), Arkansas Tamil Sangam, Eastern Iowa Tamil Sangam, McLean County Tamil Sangam, Sastha Tamil Foundation (Associate), South Bay Tamil Sangam, Tampa Tamil Sangam, Triad Tamil Sangam, and the Utah Tamil Sangam

According to the FeTNA website, the cost of membership varies based on the size of constituent sangams. Each sangam appoints delegates to the governing board, with votes proportional to membership. Beside the governing board, the group has a President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Communications Director.{{cite web|url=http://www.friendsofsouthasia.org/textbook/LetterToCAStateBoard_FeTNA.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060509182534/http://www.friendsofsouthasia.org/textbook/LetterToCAStateBoard_FeTNA.pdf |url-status=usurped |archive-date=May 9, 2006 |title=FeTNA letter to the California State Board of Education |access-date=2006-08-06 |author=Thillai Kumaran (FeTNA) |date=2006-02-19 }}

The Federation publicly sides with the cause of ethnic Sri Lankan Tamils in the Sri Lankan Civil War. It has issued a number of statements calling for an end to Sri Lankan government violence against Tamils, the ability of Tamils to engage in meaningful negotiations with the government, and a peaceful political resolution to the conflict.

• 1995: Passed a resolution at annual convention, asking the US government not to sell arms to Sri Lanka, and calling for the US to pressure the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE to find a political resolution to the civil war {{cite news |url=http://www.sangam.org/TVOICE/tvFall95.htm#ftna |title=The FeTNA Resolution |publisher=Tamil Voice (Newsletter of the Ilankai Tamil Sangam) |date=Fall 1995 |access-date=2006-08-07}}
• 2005: Held the Sri Lankan government accountable for the death of Sri Lankan Tamil journalist Dharmaratnam Sivaram.{{cite news | url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=14790 | title=Govt. of Sri Lanka is accountable for journalist's murder- US Tamils | publisher=TamilNet| date=2005-05-02 | access-date=2006-08-07}}
• 2005: Strongly condemned the murder of Joseph Pararajasingham, a Sri Lankan Tamil Member of Parliament{{cite news | url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=16658 | title=US Tamils call for sanctions against SL Government | publisher=TamilNet | date=2005-12-27 | access-date=2006-08-07}}
• 2006: Called for an end to extrajudicial killings by Sri Lankan government forces and paramilitaries.{{cite news | url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=18321 | title=US Tamils call for stop to extra-judicial killings | publisher=TamilNet | date=2006-05-29 | access-date=2006-08-07}}
• 2006: Supported a call for Sri Lanka-LTTE peace meetings, urged world leaders to pressure all parties to stop attacks on civilians, called for Sri Lankan military to withdraw from civilian homes and buildings, and called for sanctions to be initiated unless the Sri Lankan government disarmed paramilitaries {{cite news | url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=16728 | title=Tamil Americans urge Co-chairs to promote "equal partnership for peace" | publisher=TamilNet | date=2006-01-04 | access-date=2006-08-07}}
• 2006: Participated at a protest at the United Nations, condemning Sri Lankan state violence against Tamil civilians, asking for an investigation by the International Criminal Court, and calling for good faith negotiations between the Sri Lankan government and Sri Lankan Tamils {{cite news | url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=18680 | title=US Tamils urge UN action against Sri Lanka | publisher=TamilNet | date=2006-07-01 | access-date=2006-08-07}}

The Federation's stated interest in doing cultural work in the "Tamil Eelam" region of Sri Lanka involved it with high-profile legal challenges against the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (AEDPA) and the USA PATRIOT Act.

In 1997, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright designated the LTTE as a "foreign terrorist organization" under the terms of the AEDPA, which, according to TamilNet, "criminalizes the provision of material support or resources to the lawful and non-violent activities of any foreign organization designated as 'terrorist' by the Secretary of State."{{cite news | url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=1145 | title=US Antiterrorism Law challenged in courts | publisher=TamilNet | date=1998-03-20 | access-date=2006-08-06}} In 1998, FeTNA and seven other organizations joined the Center for Constitutional Rights in challenging the constitutionality of the AEDPA, which would make illegal FeTNA's attempts to do service around Tamil language, arts, and cultural institutions in the LTTE-occupied "Tamil Eelam" region of Sri Lanka. The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled against the plaintiffs.{{cite news | url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=5678 | title=Petition against Antiterrorism Law ruling filed in US Supreme Court | publisher=TamilNet | date=2000-12-24 | access-date=2006-08-06}}

The Center for Constitutional Rights and the Humanitarian Law Project took up a similar case challenging the AEDPA and the USA PATRIOT Act in 2003.{{cite news | url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=10034 | title=Cole, Chang lead US Patriot Act challenge by Tamils | publisher=TamilNet | date=2003-10-05 | access-date=2006-08-06}} In March 2004, Judge Audrey Collins enjoined the US Government from enforcing applicable sections of the USA Patriot Act against the plaintiffs; however, FeTNA was not covered by the ruling, because they did not provide the court with adequate details to prove that their proposed actions—doing cultural work in LTTE-occupied parts of Sri Lanka—would actually be in violation of the law.{{cite news | url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=11380 | title=Amended US court ruling protects WTCC, FeTNA | publisher=TamilNet | date=2004-03-04 | access-date=2006-08-06}}

Some critics of the LTTE, consider FeTNA overly sympathetic toward or supportive of the group. FeTNA's public statements are primarily critical of human rights abuses attributed to the government of Sri Lanka.

A July 2003 Times of India article based only on a prior article in Sri Lankan paper The Island called FeTNA "one of LTTE's front organisations," and referred to the annual FeTNA convention as an LTTE fundraiser.{{cite news | url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/55880.cms | title=Indian cine stars to raise money for LTTE | work=The Times of India | date=2003-07-02 | access-date=2006-08-07}} (The Island in a 1999 Asian Human Rights Commission statement was called "a Sri Lankan newspaper well known for its racist propaganda."){{cite web|url=http://tamilnation.co/indictment/genocide95/gen95113.htm |title=Asian Human Rights Commission says: "Sri Lankan record of gross abuse of human rights is much worse than that of Chile during the rule of Pinochet" |access-date=2006-08-10 | work=Indictment Against Sri Lanka |publisher=Tamilnation.org | date=2006-02-19 }} The accusation appears not to have been repeated in subsequent media coverage, and mainstream Indian political figures (e.g. Indian President Abdul Kalam) have continued to participate in FeTNA events.

{{main|Californian Hindu textbook controversy}}

FeTNA was actively involved in the Californian Hindu textbook controversy, in which it joined a number of other groups in successfully petitioning California's Curriculum Commission to reject allegedly revisionist edits to California's textbook curriculum on Hinduism and India, as suggested by the Hindu Education Foundation and the Vedic Foundation. FeTNA raised several specific objections about the proposed textbook revisions, which they felt sidelined the role of South Indian and Dravidian culture (history, language, and religious traditions), and allegedly "whitewashed" caste and gender discrimination in India.

Upon rejection by the Board of major proposed edits, a Thillai Kumaran, then President of FeTNA, dismissed the pending lawsuit by the Hindu organizations. "Threats of legal action are a clear sign of desperation on the part of the Sangh organizations; these organizations are perhaps not aware that the Board deals with dozens of lawsuits at any given time and cannot be cowed by such threats." {{citation needed|date=February 2018}} Thillai Kumaran, a concerned parent, mentioned his lower-caste origins during his testimony,{{cite web |url=http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/living/education/13904600.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060223011831/http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/living/education/13904600.htm |archive-date=2006-02-23 |title=MercuryNews.com {{!}} 02/18/2006 {{!}} Scholars, faithful debate textbooks' portrayal of Hinduism}} mentioned that his son, who attends middle school in California, did not feel insulted by the textbook's contents on Hinduism.

In a statement FeTNA has supported caste-based reservation in India to 49.5% of the available seats in institutes of higher education and jobs.{{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20120904020057/http://www.friendsofsouthasia.org/caste/reservations/PressRelease_060906.html Dismantling Discrimination - Press Release by FOSA, ACJP, FeTNA and CSFH]}} It has been critical of the demonstration again the proposed increased in reserved seats. The Tamil Nadu state of India already reserves 69% seats for specific castes.

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• [http://www.fetna.org/ Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America]

{{Sri Lankan Tamil people}}

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