The extolled and exalted spirit of T.P.L.F’s 31st anniversary celebration in Ottawa.

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Paulos Yrgaw
Apr 09, 2006

As they say it in this country, if the Canadian weather pattern was to be manifested in a human flesh, it would have been admitted time and time again into a Psychiatric Asylum for a stern and rigorous assessment where the diagnosis is a bi-polar disorder. As the vagaries of winter receded into the realm of oblivion, the month of April was greeted with a blithe where the first few days were bathed with a bright sunshine and the winter jacket hungers are rendered defunct again. True to its nature, however, the weather as precarious as it is, a cool breeze and chilly wind became the hue of Saturday as we looked forward with a concerted enthusiasm to celebrate the birth of T.P.L.F 31 years ago yesterday.

However, as we strode into the hall which was decorated with the tri-colour Ethiopian flag flunked by T.P.L.F’s emblem, we found ourselves in a different plane where the nuisance of Canadian weather and the stressors of life lost their meanings. Instead, the aura of celebration took its effect in no time where everybody seemed to have found a micro-cosm of Tigrai with in the exalted spirit that bound us together.

As the mood of festivity built itself and our esteemed D.J. played traditional music at the background augmented with a documentary film of our glorious struggle, Ato Abraha, a hero and one of the golden breeds of Tigrai took the stage and laid out the ensuing program for the evening with his clear and high pitched voice and a semblance of a leader demeanor.

After Ato Abraha asked the audience to observe a few seconds of silence in eternal memory of our fallen heroes, the eloquent and articulate Ato Berhe Tebege otherwise known as "TJ"took the stage and delivered a passionate speech where he tersely reminded us to redouble our concerted effort to give a helping hand to our fledging democracy and keep the legacy of our heroes where the rights of nations and nationalities is respected and remain resolute as the anti-peace and anti-democracy forces try to nullify the priceless sacrifice of our heroes. As TJ was at his best, he went on to address the crucial challenges that Ethiopia is facing today and our much needed and expected role in fostering a democratic venue where posterity is to live in tranquillity, economic stability where unity in diversity is the ethos of the new emerging democratic Ethiopia.

H.E. Ambassador Dr. Berhanu Dibaba graced us with his presence and gave a congratulatory remark where H.E. stressed the fact that, it is a high time and it is incumbent upon every citizen to participate in the already set in motion democratic wheel which was planted and cultivated by the Ethiopian heroes who set out to give their precious lives thirty one years ago. And H.E. went on to say that, it is a historical obligation of every Ethiopian to keep our heroes’ legacies intact.

As the night wore on, the mood for dance reached a climax and our esteemed DJ met the desire of the audience by playing a variety of traditional songs where our beautiful women were at their best on the dance floor. During a repose, Miki a poet in his own right, took us in a train of memories where he narrated the legacy of T.P.L.F in particular and the Spartan caliber of our heroes in general in their timeless struggle to materialise a democratic and prosperous Ethiopia. As passionate as he was, in a Homeric streak, he electrified the audience in a poetic spirit where we are reminded time and time again to remain true and unequivocally committed to the extolled zeitgeist of our heroes. It is unambiguously clear that, the event demonstrated that Ethiopians can not afford to be complacent when the remnants of the ancien regime try to hijack the fruits of our heroes where the birth of a democratic and prosperous Ethiopia is the objectives second to none.

Comments: asimov107@yahoo.ca

Paulos Yrgaw
Ottawa, Canada.

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