Vallikkannan Maruthappan, a native of Madurai, Founder of Canada Tamil Sangam (CTS), has been elected Secretary of the Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America (FeTNA), one of the largest umbrella organizations representing 73 Tamil associations across the United States and Canada.
Vallikkannan Maruthappan previously served as Treasurer of FeTNA for the past two years before being elected Secretary, making this his second consecutive term in the organization's senior executive leadership. His election is regarded as a significant recognition of his longstanding contributions to the global Tamil community.
The newly elected office bearers are Ezhilan Ramarajan as President, Kingsley Samuel as Vice President, Vallikkannan Maruthappan as Secretary, John Britto as Treasurer, Praveena Varadharajan as Joint Secretary, and Jansirani Prabakaran as Assistant Treasurer.
The Executive Committee also includes Vijay Manivel as Ex-Officio Member; Suba Suntharalingam, Kathirvel Kumararaja, Rajesh Jesuraj, and Suba Karaikudi as Directors; and Advika Sachidanandhan and Guhan Sivakumar as Youth Representatives.
As Founder and Chairman of Canada Tamil Sangam, Vallikkannan Maruthappan has played an active role in promoting the Tamil language, literature, culture, and community development in Canada and India. Through Canada Tamil Sangam, he has led several initiatives aimed at preserving Tamil heritage, encouraging youth participation, and strengthening cultural ties among Tamils across the world.
He has also been instrumental in promoting Tamil Nadu's traditional folk arts. Among his notable initiatives is the organization of the Vaigai Thiruvizha at the World Tamil Sangam in Madurai, which brought together folk artists from across Tamil Nadu and provided them with a platform to showcase and preserve their traditional art forms.
Over the years, Vallikkannan Maruthappan has continued to support Tamil language development, cultural preservation, educational initiatives, and community service in both Tamil Nadu and the global Tamil diaspora.
Speaking on behalf of the new executive committee, FeTNA President Ezhilan Ramarajan said the organization would focus on strengthening cooperation among Tamil associations across North America, expanding opportunities for younger generations, and advancing the federation through innovation, technology, entrepreneurship, and community engagement.
He also announced that FeTNA's 40th Annual Tamil Festival will be held during the first week of July 2027 in Atlanta, Georgia, with participation expected from Tamil scholars, artists, entrepreneurs, professionals, and community leaders from around the world.
In addition, the FiTEN (International Tamil Entrepreneurs Network) Conference is scheduled to be held in Chennai in January 2027. The conference is expected to bring together Tamil entrepreneurs, investors, technology professionals, and business leaders from across the globe to strengthen international collaboration and investment opportunities.