Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It saddens me today to talk of the passing of Sivarasa Nallaratnam or Siva, as we all knew him, a towering member of the Tamil community in Victoria. I spent many happy afternoons with Siva at cultural events and saw in action his dedication not only to his ethnic community but to the community as a whole. Siva was a Justice of the Peace for many years; President of the Victorian Tamil Senior Citizens Benevolent Society and served twice as President of the Victorian Tamil Senior Citizens Committee. He was an active member of the Interfaith Network, where he worked tirelessly to bring together ethnic groups and faith based groups—and it worked very well within the City of Monash. He was also a member of the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria, a member of the Housing for the Aged Action Group, a member of the South-Eastern Radio Association, an active member of the Victorian Public Tenants Association and a member of the Victorian Public Transport Union.

He loved life, but he loved giving back to his community. He saw a need to be involved. He is survived by his wife, son and daughter and many grandchildren. I am saddened that I could not attend the funeral service last week in Springvale. I hear it was overflowing. Siva touched so many people's lives by his dedication to his community, but he never forgot where he came from or the struggles of his homeland. All he was looking for was peace and resolution. He spoke often and fondly of keeping alive the Tamil language and dance. He will be greatly missed by the community.

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