TGTE Calls on Amazon Studios to Uphold New Inclusion Policy & Remove Family Man 2 for Biased Portrayal of Eelam Tamils.

“The series stretches the limits of creative license to distort the history of the Eelam Tamil people’s struggle for their dignity, human rights, and justice”

The Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) sent a letter to Amazon Studios Head Ms. Jennifer Salke today urging the company, which seeks to position itself as an industry leader on diversity, inclusion and equity, to remove the streaming giant’s series Family Man 2from all Amazon Prime Video platforms, including social media, due to its demonization of Eelam Tamils (Tamils from the island of Sri Lanka) as well as issue an apology for the anguish and injustice the studio continues to inflict upon Eelam Tamils by continuing to promote and distribute Family Man 2 despite public outcry from global Tamils and leadership in Tamil Nadu, India for the series to be withdrawn, effectively further marginalizing an already marginalized and oppressed people. TGTE also sent the letter to Ms. Aparna Purohit, Head of Amazon Prime Video India.

“The series stretches the limits of creative license to distort the history of the Eelam Tamil people’s struggle for their dignity, human rights, and justice after enduring decades of systemic discrimination, pogroms, and brutal oppression, which continues today.,” Mr. Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran, Prime Minister of TGTE, states in the letter, “The norms held in any enlightened society in terms of the democratic space for people to exercise their freedom of opinion and freedom of speech have been far exceeded in this instance, causing much anguish and a moral anger on the part of the Tamils living around the world. As a manifestation of these sentiments, Mr. Mano Thangarag, Minister of Information and Technology of the State Government of Tamil Nadu, India has appealed to the Government of India in New Delhi to have the film banned from showing in India.”

Mr. Rudrakumaran stated in the letter, “One wonders if any sensible entertainment portal would allow one of their shows to depict members of the Jewish resistance against the Nazi regime in similar terms?” TGTE’s letter also calls attention to the fact that Family Man 2 violates Amazon Studios own codified standards and ideals.

“Only hours ago, Amazon Studios announced to the world its adoption of an enhanced Inclusion Policy and Inclusion Playbook that, according to Amazon Studio’s own website, was ‘created to help disrupt the biases that occur across the lifecycle of a series,’” Mr. Rudrakumaran notes in his letter. “And yet, Amazon Studios continues to promote and distribute a series that not only excludes Eelam Tamil voices but also perpetuates the harmful Tamil stereotypes that fuel anti-Tamil hate.”

“All the more condemnable is that it continues to do so despite the expressed pain and public objection of the Eelam Tamil People, as well as that of Tamils in India. This hypocrisy undermines Amazon Studio’s position as an industry leader on diversity, equity and inclusion and violates its own standard, also highlighted on the Amazon Studio website, to ‘move beyond good intentions to creating mechanisms that hold [it] to an accountable bar,” Mr. Rudrakumaran notes.

The TGTE concluded the letter calling on “Amazon Studios to make good on its commitments by issuing an apology for the insensitivity and injustice perpetrated against Eelam Tamils by streaming Family Man 2 and completely withdraw the series from screening across Amazon Prime Video platforms altogether.”