SUBRAMANIA BHARATHIAR SCHOOL OF TAMIL STUDIES

LANGUAGE LABOUR

  Pondicherry University, a Central University  established  the Department of Tamil in 1986,  and later upgraded  to a School of Tamil. Yes, thus came the Subramania Bharathi School of Tamil Language and Literature. “This school had produced 60 scholars who have done their Ph.D’s and 28 are currently striving to become Doctors of Literature. 181 scholars obtained M.Phil degrees and currently 34 are studying. The research culminates in presentation of scholarly thesis” states Dean of the School Dr. A.Arivunambi. Dr.Arivunambi also functions as Acting Vice Chancellor during the absence of the regular Vice Chancellor. As the leading beacon of Tamil Development he states with pride that Pondicherry University is the first and only one to have got a grants for 5 years under Special Assistance Scheme from the University Grants Commission. This recent achievement gives impetus to draw plans for the development of Classical Tamil.

“If you want to know about the Tamil computing researchers, www. tamilsoftware.biz lists out only 2 people from the Union territory of Pondicherry. They are Professor Kuppusamy, who heads the Computer Sciences Department of Pondicherry University and Prasanna Venkatesan, Lecturer of same faculty. At one faculty two researchers exist to give impetus for promoting Tamil in the world of web, and the other side we have a Tamil Department which had yet to avail this talent within the campus to equip Tamil scholars and students with adequate knowledge to handle computers and to elevate Tamil to the reach of netizens.” opined a Tamil scholar with anguish. There seems to be fresh plans for inter departmental coordination after such criticisms were aired in scholarly circles.

The western experiments to open knowledge to one and all by creating Open Access Online Libraries, from where all scholarly research papers could be availed by anyone interested from any part of the globe is slowly spreading its influence over Tamil scholars.Tamil lovers of Pondicherry are keen to know the subjects of the research undertaken by various scholars in the Pondichery University. “The practice to upload all research materials into Internet is a must and web publishing must be given top priority so that what a researcher in Pondicherry University does becomes known to other researchers all over the world,” said C.P.Thirunavukkarasu, President of Anna Foundation. Though members of the faculty have brought out many books and students too have many books and articles to their credit, in these days of globalization, they have to market their achievements, publicize them and bring it to public notice.

 A report of the expert committee headed by Va.Suba.Maniccam Former Vice Chancellor of Madurai Kamaraj University had in the initial years suggested for creation of separate faculties for Tamil Studies, Linguistic Studies, Fine Arts and Overseas studies. It had mooted the suggestion that under the faculty of Tamil Studies departments of Tamil Literature, Cultural studies, Religious and Mythological Studies, Comparative literature and Indian folklore could be set up. The committee also had suggested separate department for Bharathiar and Bharathidasan Studies. The Faculty of Linguistic Studies with separate departments of Indian Grammatical Studies, Linguistics, Translation, Dialectology and Tribal languages and The Faculty of Fine Arts with Department of Music, dance, Drama and Painting must have been set up, if the recommendations of the expert committee had been taken into consideration. Much time is lost and because these faculties and departments were not created in spite of the First Central university being started in a Tamil language speaking region. Dr.R.Kothandaraman of Tholkaapiyar Centre for Fundamental Research says  that “ sixteen years had passed and lot of opportunities are lost. There is a need to review the expert committees suggestions and to have an update on its recommendations so that fresh initiatives to develop Tamil studies could be explored”. Incidentally he was one of the members of that Expert committee. Due to non allocation of funds where our representatives failed, all such new departments could not come up till 2007, the time when next five year plan launches. As a prelude for opening Departments of Modern Literature and Religious Literature, two new M.Phil courses have started , thanks to the initiatives of Dr.Ilamathi Janakiraman.

This unique Central University must be made into a global meeting place for promoting Tamil as an international language with state-of-the-art technology to connect to the global Tamil community via the Information Highway feel the foreign scholars doing research in Tamil.

 “To help Tamil communities living abroad to establish a digital network for promoting the study of Tamil language and literature, to establish a grid of learning so that Tamil communities worldwide may exchange Web-based resources, to develop and promote Tamil in electronic form to enable Tamil learners to experience the glory of Tamil language and culture, to promote a sense of Tamil identity both in nations having large Tamil populations and all former French colonies with which still sizeable Pondicherrians are culturally and professionally interlinked, Pondicherry University had lot to do” opines Mannar Mannan, President of Puthuvai Tamil Sangam.

“These former French colonies have large population of Tamils who are on the verge of forgetting their mother tongues. Hence online courses to impart Tamil learning to geographically separate Tamil communities becomes the historical mission of Pondicherry University and it is time it reaches out to those who need its help” said Professor M.Lenin Thangappa.

 But all scholars are hoping that Subramania Bharathiar School of Tamil studies will surge ahead and scale great heights in glory, since the very name of the school will be a source of inspiration for all knowledgeable Tamils to pool their goodwill to make this School known internationally.  

Courtesy:New Indian Express-weekend:7.05 2005