A leading Canada-based Tamil human rights activist was named for the VK Krishna Menon Institute's Personality of the Year award 2012.

Rathika Sitsabaiesan, a Canadian MP, was chosen for the award in recognition of her contribution to the advancement of human rights and her

uncompromising opposition to the persecution of minorities including her fellow Tamils in Sri Lanka, director of the Institute Cyrian Maprayil said.

"The VK Krishna Menon Institute salutes this courageous young lady, not only for her Human Rights activities, but also for the able way in which she represents her constituency of all races and creeds”.

Rathika was born in Sri Lanka. At the age of five she migrated with her parents to Canada in the face of the "most intense persecution of the Tamils by the fundamentalist Anti-Tamil zealots of the country backed and supported by the Sri Lankan Government", Maprayil said in a release.

The VK Krishna Menon Institute was launched in early 2006 to celebrate and commemorate the life, times and achievements of Krishna Menon, who served as defence minister under Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

Menon founded the India League which became a powerful force in the overseas movement to help liberate India.

One of the Institute's objectives is to present awards to individuals in India and the Asian Diaspora for outstanding achievements in various fields including science, literature, economics, politics, diplomacy and human rights.