புலம்பெயர் ஊடகவியல் : ஈழத்தமிழர்களை முன்வைத்து

Abstract

The statistics of UNHCR indicates the Diaspora Tamil Community consists of 800,000 members across the globe approximately. If we look at the home-to-migrant ratio, one person from every four-person migrated to a foreign country. Apart from this migrant population, hundreds of thousands of people are displaced internally. Many of them were chased down from their own habitats; they were displaced locally; many of them still living in refugee camps, houses of relatives and friends. Most of these persons were deprived of their rights and still not permitted to return to their native places. Their lives were filled with tears and struggle. At this juncture, the formation of a new social order among the Tamil diaspora across the world taking place gradually. This social order brought a new set of socio-economic needs among these communities. Consequently, new organizations and entities include Schools in Tamil Medium, music and dance schools, student organizations, groups based on sports, drama forums, religious organizations, temples, old boys associations and business collaborations. The formation of societal based media among Tamil diaspora communities also could be viewed in this thought process. This new media journey started with designated newspapers and expanded into radios and television channels. The Tamil community took these media initiatives while they live in Sri Lanka and thereafter in their migrant destinations as individuals at the beginning and then as a diaspora community as a whole. These efforts have paved the way for the diaspora Tamil community to move towards their political identity in these migrant destinations. Normally, the mainstream mass media which are under the control of power centers do not give sufficient space for the voice of marginalized communities. However, the new media that emerged in the online platforms changed this trend. The case of the journalism of diaspora Tamil communities highlights this change. In this way, the Tamil diaspora community is very keen to take their political identities forward through media.