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Each article is the view of the author
For private circulation
Say not, 'Tis hard', in weak, desponding hour, For strenuous effort gives prevailing power. - Kural 611
அ"ைம உைட$ெத'( அசாவாைம ேவ#$% ெப#ைம !ய#$ த"#. - !ற# 611
A VIEW
Free issue 3nd Edition – April 2015
Thinking about new Anti Hindi protests Jonas Pulendrarasa Anti-Hindi protests, which happened during the end of 60’s, were a reflection of the awareness of our ancestors about the history, culture and uniqueness of our language. It was clear for them that it is separate from the Sanskrit and Braminical culture promoted by those in power at that time in the Union. The rejection of the Hindi language is not a simple rejection of a language. It is the rejection of the whole package, which was about to come with it. In fact, the imposition of Hindi as the national or as an official language means that we recognize one language as superior than other as it is the only recognized language. By being the only one common to the whole country slowly, other national languages will slowly disappear due the fact that it will not have any importance in the making of politics or to get a job. It is simply erasing the culture and the history of different nations. Today, English and Hindi are official languages of the For students by students, Madras university
3 supranational union. We can clearly see that there is a pyramid in importance within languages. English is the top one then comes Hindi (BJP is trying to replace English by Hindi) then national languages. Those who know only state national languages will have their career limited to the state; those who have proficiency in English or Hindi will see their career boosted to supranational level even international level. Today’s middle class and upper middle class children are mostly studying in private institutions where the state national language is almost inexistent and the medium of instruction is English and often another language will come like Hindi and a European language. This is possible because the state’s national language doesn’t have any future in the Indian supranational union or in the globalized world if we don’t give importance to it. Some will say well why not learn other languages there is no harm. There is no harm in learning any languages. Contact: aview.mu@gmail.com
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We have to understand what is a language. A language doesn’t come from nowhere or suddenly. Many tried to create new languages like Esperanto but no one uses it. A language comes from the culture of a people, from its environment, its daily interaction, historical events, etc what does it mean? It means that certain things a unique to one language due to its people. Words, emotions, objects, letters, phonetics etc.. For example, in English there is one word for rice but in Tamil there are many to describe the whole process of the making of rice. By learning a new language, we learn also their culture and practices. By nor learning our own language or not giving a future to it we are erasing our own history. For a German student to learn another European language it is for that student a normal thing because they have their national language and have a future with it, they are learning a new one understand the other national. However, we asked the question to French students studying in Madras University why don’t you learn Tamil instead of Hindi, They simply answer it is hard. They didn’t want to say there is no point to learn a language, which has no international recognition, even in the Indian supranational union. In fact, if Tamil was so hard to learn what about Hindi. I am also a French student who studied French like them Hindi for me is really difficult, a complete new script. In France, many students will go and learn Arabic, Russian, Chinese, and Japanese. It is because there is a future for those who learn these languages. We should learn more languages only if we have the same status for our language. Today, Tamil is becoming more important because the Tamil Nadu state is willing to act in the international sphere on the Eelam issue even against the Indian supranational official stand on it and because the northern Province in Sri Lanka is changing the future of Sri Lanka. Today, corporate companies are using English and Hindi to promote their products and brand in Tamil Nadu. It is simply another ways to come with a new culture and imposing their culture on us. We are asking that everyone in the state should understand and should access the service provided by a company. If they are not willing to translate into Tamil or accept people dressed with Tamil Traditional dress then it is imposing a culture and in For students by students, Madras university
another word imposing discriminations on Tamil people. For example, in a pizza shop in Chennai there is a board “we can restrict the entry to the shop upon our discretion”, there is only English songs, the card will be in English and north Indian based channels will be screened on televisions. I will go to this place and ask them to put Tamil music slowly it worked few times after they will play both English and Tamil songs. It shows only that we have to be proactive and not waiting for the change to happen. We have to occupy spaces and ask for Tamil to be also available in their menu card. Thinking like this is not being an extremist, as many will tend to categorize us. Why then the same company in France or Sweden will translate their menu card in the French and Swedish, it is not like people don’t know English in those countries. It is the same with people on television speaking half English and half Tamil we have to protest against those people until they learn properly the Tamil language. We have said here some issues concerning the future of Tamil in the very same state where Tamil should be flourishing. We cannot protest like in those time and self-immolate ourselves. However, we should use new ways of protesting like non-violent protest outside shops, stickers, writing letters to shop headquarters, dress with Tamil dresses and go to these shops, Facebook and Twitter campaign on their pages, protest in front of parliament, etc … We should use counter culture as a mean to achieve this as the mainstream culture, which imposed on us, is depriving us from engaging and participating in those spheres. Let us give importance to our language through new ways of seeing ourselves by using the space given to everyone. Let’s use walls to express our will, let’s use kolam to educate, rap to share our anger, photo exhibition to expose, slam to innovate, video to explain, internet to unite more people. It will not solve the actual problem of our language and our status in the world but this will expose our problems and maybe lead as Gandhi said to the British you can stay on our land only if you assimilate to our land culture but if you want to impose your civilization on us and on this land we shall say to you go back to your land. We will say the day a tiger will change his nature; we can expect the British to change, but we know it wont happen. I guess it is the same for Hindi, they are the same, they tried yesterday, they try today, and they will try tomorrow. Let’s us be ready! Contact: aview.mu@gmail.com
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Opinion: Tamil as a medium of communication Tamil is a language, which is spoken around the world by more than 70 millions individuals, and it is not seen as a dying language but as a living language. External factors such as mixing the language with English language brought some doubts on the modernization of the Tamil Language as a working and daily language. In fact, many serials and television programs mixes Tamil and English in their daily shows. This is where the problem grows for many children around the world. When listening to these serials or programs through their parents during their young age. The memory of a child will record the structure of the language easily and will reproduce it when practicing with friends or classmates. One student told me he is now unable to write properly Tamil and find correct words. For parents, it will not affect them that much as the language structure is already memorized and practiced for many years. For them, it will not be a problem to understand the mixed language but it is affecting in the long term the future of the Tamil language structure and evolution. Another issue impacts the evolution of the Tamil language in this new globalized world; it is the standardization of the Tamil language. As there is no Tamil academy researching and accessing the evolution of practices and curb any unwanted evolution, the Tamil language is left to lovers of Tamil to keep and improve the language. No state or government in the world is promoting or supporting Tamil to live amongst the future generation. However, the continuous improvement in communication between people around the world makes easier the transfer of information and the transfer of goods. Thus it becomes easier for us to deal with somebody in Tamil Nadu or in Mauritius in Tamil without a huge delay and problem. This also gives the possibility to publish and to broadcast in Tamil without a big cost for the producer. This permit to provide new entertainments produced without the border constraint and in a transnational way. Hence, this provides us the opportunity to use Tamil as a communication language. It is largely admitted that English is a leading language in terms of communication. In fact, we give importance to this language by producing and sharing knowledge For students by students, Madras university
through the English language. Even if the first spoken language in the world is Mandarin, English permits to bridge different people around the world on a common language. Thus it is to our generation and to our elders to understand the stakes with our language in order to transform the future of the Tamil Language. As said the continuous improvement of communication technologies permits to produce and share to the world knowledge in Tamil and make it accessible without a big cost or a huge delay. History is a key element to one’s life. Even if we neglect it in our daily relations with others, it determines directly or indirectly our position in the society. The knowledge about our history permits to guess what kind of relation we can have to others. For instance if we take the French community where I lived, each day I will meet citizens and French institutions which constitute the French republic. We cannot see these two components separately as both as shape by a common past and a long history. French history goes back to roman history and before and doesn’t limit to the French revolution 300 years before. It is this past that makes these citizens and institutions French. We can argue that the language and the political system is part of it but the language evolves and the political system also however history is an accumulation of events and facts that are shared. It will be a big error for us Tamils to not look back in our past and even if there are obstacles we should go beyond them. The French revolution gave “Freedom, Equality, Fraternity” to the world. French people and France place itself according to this past in the world as the country of Human rights. Tamils almost 2000 to 3000 years back we have literature describing our political system and our values. We can quote one of the famous one “யா#$ ஊேர யாவ$% ேக!"” every town is similar to our and everyone is our kin. It shows the open mindset of our ancestors and their capacity to think beyond human and land divisions. Today it is important to remember all those things and start thinking about values our ancestors left to us. Tamil should become the communication language between Tamils around the world. It depends on our initiative to make it happen and transform our future, the future of our heritage. Jonas Pulendrarasa Contact: aview.mu@gmail.com
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Opinion: About Female Sexuality Dear Young Tamil Men Remember this conversation?
(and
Women), depicted women as polarized figures -- either modest and righteous or sexually active and evil. Well, did it ever occur to you that women -- even Tamil women -"So what do you think of her?" says one young Tamil can be both righteous and sexually active? It probably man to another. "She's banging. But yo, I don't think didn't because the idea of sexual purity has become the she's the type you'd want to marry," his friend replies. measuring stick for assessing good character in Tamil women. Sexual freedom when it comes to dating and "What do you mean? You heard something bad about hook-ups. And we Tamil women are expected to her?" The young Tamil man presses his friend complacently accept your indiscretions as if it were anxiously but dreads hearing more. your right as men to explore and enjoy life, and as if questioning this right is blasphemous. "Well, how do I put this lightly? Let's just say she's been around. Her ex told me some messed up things Let me tell you something that may boggle your mind. about her. I would stay away from that girl if I were Tamil men, you may have to sit down for this one. But you." we Tamil women get horny too. Contrary to popular The young Tamil man is downcast, yet relieved. "Is it belief, we have sexual urges as well. Just as you just me or are a lot of Tamil girls sluts nowadays? experience complete sexual liberation, we wish to have There are like no decent girls left." the same without being judged and ridiculed as "not "Word," says his friend as they shake their heads in marriage material." We are not objects to be judged as derision and disgust while they repeat the process, "easy" or "used" and are disgusted that you would even this time with another female target in mind. use these terms to describe us. Are you surprised by this conversation? Shocked? Along with this, not all of us believe in the idea of You shouldn't be because this is a conversation that marrying the first guy we date. And just like you, some occurs frequently within the Tamil community. of us want adventure and fun in our teens and 20s. Stop putting us on a pedestal and comparing us to an ideal Don't get me wrong. I am not solely targeting Tamils. that is not only completely unnatural, but boring. In fact, this conversation could be applied to any society that places a strong emphasis on female And while you're at it, please erase this barbaric idea chastity. Yet regardless of the culture, this is a that being modest is the only way to be righteous. There conversation that should not be happening. Especially are many sexually promiscuous women who are also not in this day and age. (And to add as a disclaimer, I intelligent, charitable, kind, empathetic and many other have no problems with women who choose not to be positive traits. The choice to be sexually promiscuous sexually active. That is their choice. What I do have a or chaste should not be central in defining a woman. So problem with are people -- men or women -- who instead of putting virgin on the top of your checklist assess someone's character solely by their virginity or when assessing a woman, try putting qualities such as lack thereof.) intelligence or independence and see where it will take you. There seems to be a flawed assumption somewhere in the depths of our patriarchal culture that the ideal Hoping for a change, Young Tamil Women woman should be angelic and innocent, blushing at the mere mention of words like "sex" or "penis." - (Extract, you can read the full article on Sometimes, when my anger doesn't blind me, I kind http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/tamilculture/tamilof empathize with you. female-sexuality_b_6775484.html) Writings by Niveda Anandan for TamilCulture.com In these narratives, you were accustomed to seeing For students by students, Madras university
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Learn/discover A Poem written by Subramaniam Barathiyar I have no fear
அ"ச$%ைல
I have no fear, I have no fear, I know no fear.
அ"ச$%ைல அ"ச$%ைல அ"செம&ப !"ைலேய
When united the world stands against me, I have no fear, I have no fear, I know no fear. When rubbish I am dismissed as, and trashed, I have no fear, I have no fear, I know no fear. When a life of begging I must resort to, I have no fear, I have no fear, I know no fear. When everything I love is lost, I have no fear, I have no fear, I know no fear. When the eyes of pretty women pierce me, I have no fear, I have no fear, I know no fear. When I am fed poison, by my closest friends, I have no fear, I have no fear, I know no fear. When an army arrives with spears smeared with flesh, I have no fear, I have no fear, I know no fear.
இ"சக%& ேளாெரலா' எ"#$% !"ற ேபா$%&, அ"ச$%ைல அ"ச$%ைல அ"செம&ப()ைலேய !"சமாக எ"# ந"ைம% !"ெச%த ேபா$%& அ"ச$%ைல அ"ச$%ைல அ"செம&ப !"ைலேய !"ைச வா#$ உ"#$ வா#$ைக ெப#$ !"ட ேபா$%& அ"ச$%ைல அ"ச$%ைல அ"செம&ப !"ைலேய இ!ைசெகா'ேட ெபா$ெளலா' இழ#$%&ட ேபா$%&, அ"ச$%ைல அ"ச$%ைல அ"செம&ப !"ைலேய க"ச$%த ெகா$ைக மாத$ க"க#$% ேபா$%&, அ"ச$%ைல அ"ச$%ைல அ"செம&ப !"ைலேய ந"ைசவா' ேல ெகாண%&' ந"ப !"# ேபா$%&, அ"ச$%ைல அ"ச$%ைல அ"செம&ப !"ைலேய ப"ைச% !ைய$த ேவ# பைடக% வ"த ேபா$%&, அ"ச$%ைல அ"ச$%ைல அ"செம&ப !"ைலேய உ"#$% வா#$%& !" !"ற ேபா$%&, அ"ச$%ைல அ"ச$%ைல அ"செம&ப !"ைலேய
When the sky shatters and descends on my head, I have no fear, I have no fear, I know no fear.
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