Issue 2: Role of Tamil Community Leaders
Issue 2: Role of Tamil Community Leaders
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Pre-Panel Discussion
1. How can the community leaders gain the support of the Youths?
• There are many Tamil organisations in Singapore that many of us are unaware about. Many are either defunct or cater to a very small and exclusive group of people. Thus, instead of starting new organisations, they must try to rejuvenate and increase awareness about the existing ones.
• They need to work together with the community instead of just leading. They should be inclusive and not miss out on people’ s views. Unfortunately in the Tamil community today, when there are events, we cannot openly express our views on matters as they will be quickly shot down by the older generation.
• Importantly, community leaders need to be the voice of the Indian community. If the Indians are being brought down the community leaders need to be their voice for these issues. If not, there will be no one to stand up for them.
• Indian Muslims are often confused on who their community representative is. We are sent back and forth between SINDA and MENDAKI. However, we feel that the representation of Indian Muslims in the Parliament is not an issue and is being taken care of.
2. How should Tamil Community Leaders improve?
• We need to strike a balance between being in the heart of the core of the community and truly being a Tamilian understanding the people, and at the same time being witty enough to navigate the non-Tamil world especially since we are in a multiracial and multicultural society.
• Tamil community organisations focus mainly on language issues by trying to increase the passion for the language and keeping it alive. However, when the Tamil community prosper, Tamil will prosper as well. Hence other community issues need to be given priority over solely language issues.
• There are too many Tamil and Indian organisations. Some are dormant or defunct. They are a waste of space and resource. Leadership renewal is important in these organisations. A youth deputy can be appointed in all these organisations. Eradicate the dormant organizations. Combine the societies with similar mission and vision. Some organisations are more powerful than others and thus they can become the parent organisation that absorbs the weaker ones under its wing.