Delving into multiple layers of Tamil identity
The rich repository of Tamil heritage and culture has largely remained invisible to the wider world, said Nirmala Lakshman, Publisher and Chairperson of The Hindu Group of Publications, speaking at a discussion on her book The Tamils, at the Bangalore International Centre here.
Ms. Lakshman described how it took her four years of multiple journeys across Tamil Nadu, studying, researching and listening to stories of people, to come up with the book.
'I spoke to epigraphists, historians, experts as well as ordinary people who generously shared their experiences, their sense of culture and tradition, and I discovered that multiple narratives coexisted,' she noted.
It was during this journey, Ms. Lakshman said, that she realised how a large part of it still remained unknown to the larger world.
'Many expert voices had not been heard outside of Tamil Nadu and Tamil world which led me to realise that the wealth of knowledge of the rich repository of Tamil heritage and culture has not been visible to larger world, and the nuanced and better-informed reading of Tamil history and society as seen through their eyes could be highlighted in my book.'
'Through The Tamils, I hope to convey my personal insights to what I have learned about Tamil culture, history and literature to an audience of not just Tamil people, but also to non-Tamil speaking people everywhere,' she further added.
Connection to roots
The discussion, moderated by Ranvir Shah, founder of Prakriti Foundation, and introduced by Ramachandra Guha, writer and historian, delved into multiple aspects that have shaped the Tamil identity.
'The Tamil diaspora is as strong in Tamil as people in Tamil Nadu are. In places like Malaysia, there is a thirst to know more about one's roots,' said Ms. Lakshman, who further added that the research for the book was a journey of discovery for her too.
According to her, Tamils, as with many other communities, are a complex demographic and carry with them a weight of history that goes back several millennia. Pointing out that there are about 90 million people across the world who identify themselves as Tamil, she recollected how, when she visited places like Malaysia, the diaspora there expressed a strong desire to know more about their roots, despite having migrated at least three generations ago.
The essence
'In this book, I tried to find that Tamil essence as I weave through history and story, talking to a wide spectrum of people. So that in that sense it's an anecdotal and personal journey,' Ms. Lakshman remarked while further adding that today, a Tamil in Tamil Nadu is no more a Tamil than a Tamil in Malaysia or Sri Lanka or Canada.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
4 hours ago
- New Indian Express
14 Virudhunagar students crack national entrance exams
VIRUDHUNAGAR: Around 14 students from the district government and government model schools have successfully cleared national-level entrance exams and secured admissions in some of the country's top universities, including IIT, NIT, and IHM. M Ajay Kumar, whose father is a driver and mother a homemaker, cleared JEE and secured admission at NIT, Rourkela, to study Metallurgical and Materials Engineering. Ajay said he was initially unaware of such entrance exams, and had planned to join a local engineering college after finishing Class 12. It was his headmistress, Parameswari, who recognised his potential and told him about his opportunity. Ajay, who completed his schooling at the Government Higher Secondary school in Illupaiyur, Tiruchuli, said, "I was able to concentrate on my studies because all the necessary materials and guidance were provided to me. I was even sent to Erode for coaching. Although I studied in the Tamil medium all these years, I could easily follow the coaching as the teachers taught us in Tamil as well. Officials from the education department said that the district administration has set up a control room to address the students' grievances and facilitate the application process. The control room number is 9791322979.
News18
a day ago
- News18
Why It's ‘Kannada' For Karnataka & ‘Kannad' For North? ‘1st Language Interference' Explained
Last Updated: There has been a significant row over non-Kannada speakers' inability to speak the local language fluently. The simmering language debate in Karnataka has taken a new turn, this time, over the pronunciation of South Indian languages. A common point of contention is the frequent mispronunciation of 'Kannada" as 'Kannad," which has irked many locals. Even Kannada star Kiccha Sudeep joined the conversation, saying, 'Just like Hindi cannot be called Hind, Kannada cannot be Kannad." But the question remains. How did the phrase 'Kannad' come into existence? According to a recent discussion with linguists in Deccan Herald, many believe it's a result of 'first language interference", where a speaker's native language influences their pronunciation and usage of other languages. Why Do People Pronounce Kannada As Kannad? Meti Mallikarjuna, a linguist, professor and researcher at Kuvempu University, spoke to the outlet, explaining how linguistic structures are different for different languages, including Kannada and Hindi. 'While Kannada and other Dravidian languages are largely based on vowels, which means the words end with a vowel, languages like Hindi end with a consonant sound," he added. As a result, those unfamiliar vowel-ending languages are likely to struggle with the correct pronunciation and end up mixing it with a consonant sound. The linguistic expert went on to cite a few examples, showing the difference between the pronunciation in Hindi and Kannada, such as pustak-pustaka (book), ganith-ganitha (mathematics) and chintan-chintana (think). Likewise, DN Shankara Bhat, another linguist, stated how speakers make certain changes in pronunciation when they borrow more from other languages. 'The structure of the borrowed word may be different from what the speaker is exposed to in their primary language. This is the reason why North Indians refer to our language as Kannad," he added. Noting that the mispronunciation of Kannad is not necessarily wrong, as such adjustments are common, Bhat went on to share how English speakers have a distinction between alphabets but Indians do not. Sahiba, an academician and former Kannada professor, explained how pronunciation issues prevail among Tamil speakers as well when they converse in Kannada using Tamil grammar. 'The grammatical rules of the primary language are deeply rooted everywhere. Many speakers are only able to adapt to the grammar of a second language while speaking it is as much as their own primary language," she explained. Linguistic experts continued to emphasise that the variations in mispronouncing languages might not be deliberate, as not everyone is aware of it, and they have nobody to correct them. Despite being a common issue with speakers from all parts of the country, many within the state of Karnataka are still seen as being targeted for not speaking Kannada fluently or mispronouncing words. It reflects how language politics have been unfairly affecting those with limited access to linguistic support. First Published:
The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
Rama, the Supreme One
Vedanta Desika was the author of works in Sanskrit, Tamil and Manipravala. He wrote Achyuta Satakam in Prakrit. In his Raghuveera Gadyam, Desika offers his salutations to Lord Rama as the effulgent One who destroys the darkness called fear, said T.N. Aravamuda Thathachariar in a discourse. Rama shines because of Sita Devi's constant presence beside Him. He is the One who illuminates Paramapada with His brightness. Desika celebrates Rama as Jayathi in his salutation. Why does he begin with the word 'jayathi'? When Periyazhvar saw Lord Narayana, he was afraid people would cast evil eyes on Him, and that this would harm the Lord. So he sang pallandu verses to ward off the evil eyes. Likewise, Desika, in this verse uses the word jayathi to ward off evil eyes. The first choornika of the gadyam also says, 'Jaya Jaya Mahaveera.' Thus the prayer for mangalam and a prayer to keep away all inauspiciousness are there right at the beginning of the work. Vedanta Desika's style is such that some passages are difficult to recite, while some are easy, and Desika himself points this out towards the end of the work. He says some passages are kaTora (tough); some are easy (sukumAra). Raghuveera Gadyam has 94 choornikas, of which the first two praise Rama the warrior. The third choornika refers to Rama as Deva, showing that Rama is the Supreme One. The Upanishadic statement is 'divyO deva ekO Narayana,' and Desika reiterates it here by referring to Rama as Deva. The 94 choornikas can be seen in the context of the qualities of Rama as seen in the various kandas of Valmiki Ramayana. Twenty choornikas pertain to Balakanda; seven to Ayodhya Kanda; 14 to Aranyakanda; five to Kishkinda kanda; one to Sundara kanda; 29 to Yuddha kanda; and 18 to Uttara Ramayana.
