Sections of this exhibition were also presented at the walk from Mannar to Matale ‘Maanbumigu Malaiyaha Makkal’ which commemorated the journey taken by the early labourers from India to Ceylon from July 28–August 12, 2023.   

ROOTED: Histories of the Malaiyaga Tamils, an exhibition by the Collective for Historical Dialogue and Memory (CHDM), will be held from August 18 to August 27 2023 from 9 a.m. to 6.p.m. at the Public Library, Colombo.   
On Sunday 20th the exhibition will run from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.   

The exhibition, which is a collaboration with the Institute for Social Development (ISD), traces significant, historical themes of the Malaiyaga Tamils from their arrival from India to work, primarily in plantations, in Sri Lanka, through their political events and struggles, and to their achievements – all of which define the histories of their community.  

Commemorating 200 years of the Malaiyaga Tamil community in Sri Lanka, the exhibition seeks to create public awareness of the community’s past and present, and highlights the importance of acknowledging marginalised histories.

  
This exhibition is curated by integrating public and personal histories with special focus on acknowledging the systemic discrimination endured by the Malaiyaga community and in particular the community’s struggle for recognition and identity as citizens in Sri Lanka.  
The exhibition consists of panels tracing the colonial and post- independence histories of the community, and artefacts that are significant to the community’s histories (many which are loaned from the Tea Plantation Workers’ Museum and Archive, Gampola), along with audiovideo material.  

The exhibition is targeted at members of the general public, especially history enthusiasts, including university and high school students.  
The exhibition was first presented in Nuwara Eliya, at the Racecourse grounds in May 2023 as part of a larger event #Malaiyagam200 organized by ISD.