It is funny and amusing. The Government of TamilNadu requests Government of India to provide classical status to Tamil Language. Government of India, apparently an expert Body on World Languages suddenly understands the worth of Tamil or bows to Political pressure for political survival, agrees and this action has supposedly added to the glory of Tamil. A Government order to honour a Language that has sustained itself through ages through individual efforts.? How far can a Government go? Have the Government gone crazy like the British of yesteryear's when they thought they have everything on earth under their command.
And later at a Conference at Coimbatore to celebrate the Classical status of Tamil where the Participants hailed the Chief Minister as a Saviour, Protector of Tamil language for spending 100s of crores of rupees belonging to the tax payer. So after the Conference, Tamil would feel happy that it found a place among the great languages of the world thanks to a Government and politicians.
A Language sustains, grows not merely by the numbers of people who spoke it, as is normally assumed, but by the great minds which use the language to think and write on. Of course a language dies if nobody is there to speak it. But it is not the numbers which determine a language but the quality of achievements in the Language. Hence, Sanskrit continues to be a classical language. So does Latin and Greek and Hebrew. Although often considered a dead language , in view of the fact that it has no native, fluent speakers, Latin continues to be taught in schools and has been, and currently is, used in the process of new word production in modern languages from many different families, including English. Greek is still spoken in Greece. Chinese and Arabic are also considered Classical languages because of their antiquity. Hebrew is spoken by Jews across the world and in Israel.
The inspiration for a Civilisation is the Language that inspires Great Minds. Petty minds don’t credit any language.The history of a Language is indeed the History of the Great works written on that language. For a language to flourish there has to be intense criticism, introspection, tolerance of criticism, appreciation of contrary convictions and opinions and a humility by those who speak the language. We need substance in conceptual thinking and not just a flourish of rhetory or grand nothings.There also ought to be freedom for creativity and standards for writing in a language, whose existence ought to be debated in TamilNadu. A language that adapts to the changing times and absorbs and mingles with other languages smoothly has possibilities of spreading its wings and surviving.
How does a Government order issued by a Government run by mediocre people called politicians and bureaucrats help a language excellence is debatable but Politicians in Tamil hardly debate this on the fear of being misunderstood as anti Tamils. Even the Media which has grown to thrive on Government advertisements and survives by claims to ideals has stopped even pretending to raise basic relevant questions. Iam a Tamil, a Proud Tamil proud of her Classical heritage but shocked at the Pretensions and dramas enacted to impress the people that these help the language grow. But it’s hoodwinking of worst kind to claim that a language needs a certificate for classical status. No other language was insulted by a certification and classical languages like civilisations don’t crave for recognition. Now that Tamil was politically recognised as a classical language, demands for other languages to be recognised similarly will rise. It’s all politics, language politics.
What are the Purposes of this Classical Tamil Institute set up by the Government after Tamil claimed classical Status by a G.O??
•Preparation of definitive editions of forty-one Classical Tamil texts
•Translation of those works into English and other major European languages as well as into many leading Indian languages
•Making of visual episodes on classical Tamil language, literature, epigraphy and architecture
•Development of material for the online teaching of Tamil
•Writing of a historical grammar of Tamil
•Undertaking diachronic and synchronic studies of Tamil dialects
•Creation of a corpus of classical Tamil texts
•Establishment of a digital library
•Study of India as a linguistic area
•Promotion of multidisciplinary research in classical Tamil
These Purposes appear lofty but major lacunae includes lack of support for creating standards in writing in Tamil, few translation of masterpieces from other languages to Tamil and the absence of formed minds called intellectuals in Contemporary Tamilnadu. Most of the purposes of language sustenance are limited to documentation and documentation need not be factual knowing the poor standards of documentation and the desire to please higher ups(in journalistic parlance) by writing favourably to please the Powers that are. Merely scribbling in Tamil does not enable the language though the scribbler may be called a Poet or a Scholar today by present pathetic language standards in TamilNadu. Remember how history was twisted when Chief Minister Karunanidhi was claimed to have been present on the dais when DMK party was launched? Remember how Jayalaltha removed Srilanka from the Thanjavur Conference Logo because if her anathema to the island nation? Fake news is propagated even for language chauvinism or love as you may interpret.
What are the benefits of declaring Tamil as a Classical Language with G.O? A few of hundreds of people with academic degrees in Tamil Language will be provided jobs. What else? They will develop the Tamil language. How? By compiling and writing in Tamil. Compilation is a documentation work which the government agencies are famous for. How can Tamil flourish wherein sycophancy and political interests were of paramount importance over anything else? How can a language grow where dissent is crushed and suspected as a neurological disorder. Isn't language being used to further narrow political pretensions? Nobody wants to question because everyone has an axe to grind. We all are partners in the crime.
Tamil Vazhgha! It is absurd many believe that this shout helps Tamil develop. Huge neon boards proclaim this on government buildings raised at tax payers cost. TamilNadu holds Semmozhi Parks in Mahabalipuram and in Coimbatore. These are sculpture parks which is interesting as TamilNadu is famous today for her moulded sculptures which hold a remote resemblance on the person on which the sculpture was done. The standard of sculpting today is abysmal in TamilNadu as there was not much difference between Thiruvalluvar and EV Ramasamy except for a pair of eye glasses. But how can Semmozhi Parks further a language? By naming Parks and Buildings , how can one propagate or develop a Language? Luckily these parks were about semmozhi, not about Tamil, but about some new language, as it would be discovered and interpreted by archaeologists in a few hundreds of years.. Bureaucrats in India are not Public servants anymore but servants of their political bosses. They are hand in glove with Polticians and it is very interesting that many Tamils aspire to be bureaucrats and reap benefits. Semmozhi will also be the point of research 200 years from hence.
I believe,Tamil was and is a Classical language. The language can stand on its own as it had for many centuries. But the threat posed by so called proud Tamils Leaders is the biggest the language has faced since her birth. Most of these politicians who enact this drama are unconnected to Tamilnadu, have not Tamil as mother tongue. Tamils are addicted to prefixes and suffixes to claim and project somebody or something as greater than what they appear to be. The leaders have honoured themselves with adjectives, so does the movie stars and political parties. Language of Tamil too was not spared of this sickness and was honoured with suffixes such as Semmozhi. Tamil Language doesn't deserve this abuse really. Leave Tamil alone and it will sustain and no acts of any Government can eradicate or bring down the importance of the achievements of the Language. I believe the adjective of semmozhi insulted Tamil.
Please tell me whether Tamil Language will really benefit by the poor standards of academic research in the Language in Tamilnadu. How can expensive Chairs in foreign universities serve any purpose? When Tamil medium schools are fast becoming vanishing species in Tamilnadu? Corruption in educational institutions in Tamilnadu is notorious. We are also aware how the corrupt elements decide on the choice of Vice Chancellors. Governor Barnala understood the chauvinistic mind of Tamils so he claimed that he was learning Tamil( Pl see his interviews in 1989 and 2005). Prof Nannan tried his best though. So did Governor Patwari and many Governors. Even Amit Shah desires to speak in Tamil. Tamil is being politicised unendingly. Semmozhi Tamil was an extension of that game.
To repeat the original question: what can a Government order do to a language? Just like the Vatican with their numerous cases of homo sexuality, child abuse and sexual abuses declares and certifies on the Saints of the Catholic Christian World, the Tamilnadu Government decided to honour Tamil Language and help in development of Tamil. This order will supposedly help in the development of Classical Tamil with the establishment of a Central Institute of Classical Tamil in Chennai where Tamil is spoken the most chaste way(?). And 90 percent of Government orders can not be enforced in India just the way traffic rules are being enforced in Chennai. Even the Tamil words on 100s of contracted ChennaiMetro water lorries can not spell proper Tamil for "Chennai water" as Chennai Kudineer". Whom are we deceiving?
To me these pretensions enable the Politicians wallow in Self Importance and in the bargain gain Political one upmanship in the idea starved TamilNadu. Some of course make few material crumps, as usual. E V Ramasamy called Tamil a barbaric language. He was wrong. Tamil is now a language of the Barbarians now. Just look at social media. Obscenities, profanities, threats fill Facebook and Twitter. Tamil should survive these .barbarians.
Lest we forget, Media claimed 8 persons were arrested for propagating against the World Tamil Conference. Looks Stalins and Mussolinis and Hitlers still rule TamilNadu under pretext of Democracy. Tamilnadu has become a Mockcracy indeed. Thanks to mobocracy.
And later at a Conference at Coimbatore to celebrate the Classical status of Tamil where the Participants hailed the Chief Minister as a Saviour, Protector of Tamil language for spending 100s of crores of rupees belonging to the tax payer. So after the Conference, Tamil would feel happy that it found a place among the great languages of the world thanks to a Government and politicians.
A Language sustains, grows not merely by the numbers of people who spoke it, as is normally assumed, but by the great minds which use the language to think and write on. Of course a language dies if nobody is there to speak it. But it is not the numbers which determine a language but the quality of achievements in the Language. Hence, Sanskrit continues to be a classical language. So does Latin and Greek and Hebrew. Although often considered a dead language , in view of the fact that it has no native, fluent speakers, Latin continues to be taught in schools and has been, and currently is, used in the process of new word production in modern languages from many different families, including English. Greek is still spoken in Greece. Chinese and Arabic are also considered Classical languages because of their antiquity. Hebrew is spoken by Jews across the world and in Israel.
The inspiration for a Civilisation is the Language that inspires Great Minds. Petty minds don’t credit any language.The history of a Language is indeed the History of the Great works written on that language. For a language to flourish there has to be intense criticism, introspection, tolerance of criticism, appreciation of contrary convictions and opinions and a humility by those who speak the language. We need substance in conceptual thinking and not just a flourish of rhetory or grand nothings.There also ought to be freedom for creativity and standards for writing in a language, whose existence ought to be debated in TamilNadu. A language that adapts to the changing times and absorbs and mingles with other languages smoothly has possibilities of spreading its wings and surviving.
How does a Government order issued by a Government run by mediocre people called politicians and bureaucrats help a language excellence is debatable but Politicians in Tamil hardly debate this on the fear of being misunderstood as anti Tamils. Even the Media which has grown to thrive on Government advertisements and survives by claims to ideals has stopped even pretending to raise basic relevant questions. Iam a Tamil, a Proud Tamil proud of her Classical heritage but shocked at the Pretensions and dramas enacted to impress the people that these help the language grow. But it’s hoodwinking of worst kind to claim that a language needs a certificate for classical status. No other language was insulted by a certification and classical languages like civilisations don’t crave for recognition. Now that Tamil was politically recognised as a classical language, demands for other languages to be recognised similarly will rise. It’s all politics, language politics.
What are the Purposes of this Classical Tamil Institute set up by the Government after Tamil claimed classical Status by a G.O??
•Preparation of definitive editions of forty-one Classical Tamil texts
•Translation of those works into English and other major European languages as well as into many leading Indian languages
•Making of visual episodes on classical Tamil language, literature, epigraphy and architecture
•Development of material for the online teaching of Tamil
•Writing of a historical grammar of Tamil
•Undertaking diachronic and synchronic studies of Tamil dialects
•Creation of a corpus of classical Tamil texts
•Establishment of a digital library
•Study of India as a linguistic area
•Promotion of multidisciplinary research in classical Tamil
These Purposes appear lofty but major lacunae includes lack of support for creating standards in writing in Tamil, few translation of masterpieces from other languages to Tamil and the absence of formed minds called intellectuals in Contemporary Tamilnadu. Most of the purposes of language sustenance are limited to documentation and documentation need not be factual knowing the poor standards of documentation and the desire to please higher ups(in journalistic parlance) by writing favourably to please the Powers that are. Merely scribbling in Tamil does not enable the language though the scribbler may be called a Poet or a Scholar today by present pathetic language standards in TamilNadu. Remember how history was twisted when Chief Minister Karunanidhi was claimed to have been present on the dais when DMK party was launched? Remember how Jayalaltha removed Srilanka from the Thanjavur Conference Logo because if her anathema to the island nation? Fake news is propagated even for language chauvinism or love as you may interpret.
What are the benefits of declaring Tamil as a Classical Language with G.O? A few of hundreds of people with academic degrees in Tamil Language will be provided jobs. What else? They will develop the Tamil language. How? By compiling and writing in Tamil. Compilation is a documentation work which the government agencies are famous for. How can Tamil flourish wherein sycophancy and political interests were of paramount importance over anything else? How can a language grow where dissent is crushed and suspected as a neurological disorder. Isn't language being used to further narrow political pretensions? Nobody wants to question because everyone has an axe to grind. We all are partners in the crime.
Tamil Vazhgha! It is absurd many believe that this shout helps Tamil develop. Huge neon boards proclaim this on government buildings raised at tax payers cost. TamilNadu holds Semmozhi Parks in Mahabalipuram and in Coimbatore. These are sculpture parks which is interesting as TamilNadu is famous today for her moulded sculptures which hold a remote resemblance on the person on which the sculpture was done. The standard of sculpting today is abysmal in TamilNadu as there was not much difference between Thiruvalluvar and EV Ramasamy except for a pair of eye glasses. But how can Semmozhi Parks further a language? By naming Parks and Buildings , how can one propagate or develop a Language? Luckily these parks were about semmozhi, not about Tamil, but about some new language, as it would be discovered and interpreted by archaeologists in a few hundreds of years.. Bureaucrats in India are not Public servants anymore but servants of their political bosses. They are hand in glove with Polticians and it is very interesting that many Tamils aspire to be bureaucrats and reap benefits. Semmozhi will also be the point of research 200 years from hence.
I believe,Tamil was and is a Classical language. The language can stand on its own as it had for many centuries. But the threat posed by so called proud Tamils Leaders is the biggest the language has faced since her birth. Most of these politicians who enact this drama are unconnected to Tamilnadu, have not Tamil as mother tongue. Tamils are addicted to prefixes and suffixes to claim and project somebody or something as greater than what they appear to be. The leaders have honoured themselves with adjectives, so does the movie stars and political parties. Language of Tamil too was not spared of this sickness and was honoured with suffixes such as Semmozhi. Tamil Language doesn't deserve this abuse really. Leave Tamil alone and it will sustain and no acts of any Government can eradicate or bring down the importance of the achievements of the Language. I believe the adjective of semmozhi insulted Tamil.
Please tell me whether Tamil Language will really benefit by the poor standards of academic research in the Language in Tamilnadu. How can expensive Chairs in foreign universities serve any purpose? When Tamil medium schools are fast becoming vanishing species in Tamilnadu? Corruption in educational institutions in Tamilnadu is notorious. We are also aware how the corrupt elements decide on the choice of Vice Chancellors. Governor Barnala understood the chauvinistic mind of Tamils so he claimed that he was learning Tamil( Pl see his interviews in 1989 and 2005). Prof Nannan tried his best though. So did Governor Patwari and many Governors. Even Amit Shah desires to speak in Tamil. Tamil is being politicised unendingly. Semmozhi Tamil was an extension of that game.
To repeat the original question: what can a Government order do to a language? Just like the Vatican with their numerous cases of homo sexuality, child abuse and sexual abuses declares and certifies on the Saints of the Catholic Christian World, the Tamilnadu Government decided to honour Tamil Language and help in development of Tamil. This order will supposedly help in the development of Classical Tamil with the establishment of a Central Institute of Classical Tamil in Chennai where Tamil is spoken the most chaste way(?). And 90 percent of Government orders can not be enforced in India just the way traffic rules are being enforced in Chennai. Even the Tamil words on 100s of contracted ChennaiMetro water lorries can not spell proper Tamil for "Chennai water" as Chennai Kudineer". Whom are we deceiving?
To me these pretensions enable the Politicians wallow in Self Importance and in the bargain gain Political one upmanship in the idea starved TamilNadu. Some of course make few material crumps, as usual. E V Ramasamy called Tamil a barbaric language. He was wrong. Tamil is now a language of the Barbarians now. Just look at social media. Obscenities, profanities, threats fill Facebook and Twitter. Tamil should survive these .barbarians.
Lest we forget, Media claimed 8 persons were arrested for propagating against the World Tamil Conference. Looks Stalins and Mussolinis and Hitlers still rule TamilNadu under pretext of Democracy. Tamilnadu has become a Mockcracy indeed. Thanks to mobocracy.
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