Rathika's First Press Meet after the Grand Victory -- Canada's first Tamil MP- 05/05/2011

Rathika's First Press Meet after the Grand Victory -- Canada's first Tamil MP.
Among the young New Democrats swept into office in Monday's federal election is 29-year-old Rathika Sitsabaiesan, now Canada's first ever Tamil Member of Parliament.
She migrated to Canada when she was five from Sri Lanka.
The Malvern community activist won the Ontario riding of Scarborough-Rouge River, taking a seat that had been Liberal since 1988.
Now, along with scores of other rookie NDP MPs, she will help form the Official Opposition for the first time in the party's history.
"I'm trying to figure out what the next steps are and continue working because this is just the beginning," she told CBC's Steven D'Souza on Tuesday. "It's very exciting."
Sitsabaiesan comes with a resume filled with community and advocacy work.
The first-time candidate has worked with the University of Toronto Student Union and is a member of the Malvern Community Association, a residents' group in the city's north end.
She has a Commerce degree from Carleton University and a Master's degree in Industrial Relations from Queen's.
"I have a lot of experience in organizing in the community and working on community development and being an advocate for people," she said.
"Being a strong advocate, that's what the community saw in me."
Sitsabaiesan carries a special sense of responsibility as Canada's first Tamil MP.
"It's very significant for me but also the Diaspora," she said.
Some have trouble separating the Tamil community from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam, a group that fought for an independent state in Sri Lanka and is on Canada's terrorist list.
Sitsabaiesan, who came to Canada from Sri Lanka when she was five years old, said her election is a key step in the community's development in Canada.
"I've been a Tamil all my life and those negative stigmas on the community ... we have the opportunity now to break through," she said.
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[rvstar2003]

what the fuck she can't even speak proper tamil

sopport sopport she is saying

[ninuxy]

@badguy2440 Stop being an apologist and quit sanctioning non-English speaking politicians.

[badguy2440]

@ninuxy she is a tamil and not a srilankan, srilankan president rajapasksha is an a ccused for war crimes, remember he is not a tamilian but a person who is accused for killing 1000s of innocent women and children, 1000s of children now they live in the trauma of mental instability, amputed legs & hands... LTTE are not terrorists like alquadea who bomb the busy streets for no reasons or jus becos they misunderstood quran.. these people fought for their land but was crushed mercilessly.

[ninuxy]

@browntownflow This is Canada bitch. They don't speak Tamil or some mentally-handicapped language. Either speak English/French, or get the fuck out.

Time to cleanse north America from these garbages.

[browntownflow]

love you rathika!

[browntownflow]

@Chamath5 i will murder you and your white trash family you motherfucker. watch out you cum dumpster faggot piece of shit

[browntownflow]

@ninuxy you fucking idiot she is at a conference for a certain group of individuals who's primary language is probably tamil. she is fluent in english but like an MP she is an individual who represents her own area and culture, which in this case is a strong tamil community. shut the fuck up you ignorant piece of shit

[jas121a]

@Chamath5A

Yo racist ! From a neutral perspective, your government's policies were responsible for all of Sri Lanka's problems. Remember that always.

[ninuxy]

Is this Canada or Tamil strong hold bunker?

Why isn't she speaking French or English? You damned foreigners. Now I need to get a translator just to understand a representative. WTF is going on?

[ELconchesumare]

@203207ab Dude, you make less sense than she does and you are actually speaking in English. What in the world are you talking about? "you don't know what we did?..but it must have been so and so"? You hear someone speak a foreign language and now we canadians are messed up?