Tamil Language Festival

The Tamil Language Festival (TLF) was first launched in 2007as a two-week event dedicated to the promotion of conversational Tamil. Over the years, TLF has evolved into a month-long themed festival, held annually in April. The festival encompasses a diverse array of literary, oratorical, arts, and cultural events through partnerships with over 45 community organisations under the auspices of the Tamil Language Council (TLC). In 2021, TLC initiated a companion festival called Tamil Youth Festival, with a focus on youth engagement.

The precursor to TLF was the biennial Tamil Language Week, inaugurated in 1995, from April 8 to 15. The primary objective was to promote the use of the Tamil language among the younger generation, facilitated by various Indian community organisations. The inaugural Tamil Language Week in 1995 was organised by an 11-member committee, with Nirumalan Pillay at its helm. The second edition, published in 1997, included, among other events, the publication of a glossary containing contemporary Tamil vocabulary in a local context for students, with approximately 10,000 copies distributed free of charge. S Iswaran, then Member of Parliament (MP), marked the inauguration ceremony by releasing 50,000 TransitLink MRT cards bearing the slogan “Love Tamil, Speak Tamil”.

On 12 May 1999, S Jayakumar, then Minister for Law and Foreign Affairs, made the announcement about the formation of the Tamil Language Movement. The TLC was subsequently established on 24 April 2000, under the auspices of the then Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Arts, with S Iswaran as its Advisor and V T Arasu as Chairman. Its primary objectives included promoting awareness and fostering increased usage of the Tamil language within the Tamil-speaking community in Singapore, with a special focus on engaging young Tamil Singaporeans.

In 2006, TLC invited partnership proposals from the community to develop creative programmes for young children and youth, aimed at promoting conversational Tamil. This initiative laid the foundation for the TLF, which was officially launched the following year. The inaugural TLF, organised by TLC in collaboration with the Tamil Language Learning and Promotion Committee, took place from March 31 to April 15, 2007. The launch event was held at the Raffles Junior College Auditorium and was officiated by Iswaran, then Minister for Trade and Industry. Event highlights included the finals of a drama competition for tertiary students, as well as seminars and a carnival.

For the inaugural TLF in 2007, the partner organisations were the Association of Singapore Tamil Writers, National Library Board, People's Association Indian Activity Executive Committees, Ravindran Drama Group, Singai Tamil Sangam, Singapore Kadayanallur Muslim League, Singapore Tamil Teachers' Union, and Tamil Language and Cultural Society. Over the years, the list of partners gradually expanded to include more than 45 entities, predominantly community organisations, along with government agencies and educational institutions.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in 2020, TLF experienced a decline in participation.  The festival was postponed by over six months, and only about 25 events were conducted entirely online, between 28 November and 20 December. Following the recovery from the pandemic, in 2023 and 2024, the TLF has surpassed pre-pandemic levels of participation, indicating a robust resurgence. The festival remains committed to intensifying its involvement at the family, school, and community levels.



For more information
“Tamil language weeks to get boost with fund.” The Straits Times, 30 May 1995, 26. (From Newspaper SG)
“They love Tamil, as excellent response shows.” The Straits Times, 11 April 1997, 15. (From Newspaper SG)
“Celebrating 10 Years of the Tamil Language Festival in Singapore.” Tamil Language Council, 27 March 2016. https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/data/pdfdoc/20160324007.htm 
Menon, Malavika. “Tamil Language Festival set to run virtually till Dec 20,” The Straits Times, 27 November 2020. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/tamil-language-festival-set-to-run-virtually-till-dec-20 
Chin Soo Fang. “Passion for Tamil: Language festival seeks to get youth to embrace mother tongue,” The Straits Times, 14 March 2023. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/love-tamil-speak-tamil-language-festival-seeks-to-get-youth-to-embrace-mother-tongue 
“About the Tamil Language Council.” Tamil Language Council. Accessed on 1 August 2025. https://www.languagecouncils.sg/tamil/en/about/about-the-tamil-language-council 

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The information in this article is valid as of August 2025 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. If you have any feedback on this article, please submit here.