TAMIL COUNTRY AND UNIUQUE CULTURE

பெரு நாட்டை ஆண்ட மன்னன் பெயரில் கோன்

 தென்னமரிக்காவில் பெரு நாட்டில் இங்கா பேரரசு பற்றி நான் தொலைக்காட்சியில் பேசியுள்ளேன். அந்த இங்கா பேரரசை ஏற்படுத்தியவர்கள் அதற்கும் முன்பாக அங்கு வாழ்ந்த பழங்குடிகளான இந்தியரை விரட்டிவிட்டு ஆட்சியை கைப்பற்றினார் கள் . அந்த இந்தியர்கள் கட்டுமரங்களில் ஏறிக்கொண்டு பசிபிக் பெருங்கடலில் சென்று மறைந்ததாக தொல்கதை ஒன்று வழக்கில் உண்டு. அந்த மக்களை வழிநடத்திச் சென்ற தலைவன் பெயர் கோன் டிகி. கோன் டிகி என்ற சொல்லுக்கு  சூர்ய  புத்திரன் என்று பொருள். கட்டுமரம் என்ற சொல்லையே ஆங்கில மொழிக்கு அளித்தவர்கள் தமிழர்களே. அயல்நாட்டவர் ஆக்கிரமிக்கும் முன்பு பெரு நாட்டை ஆண்ட மன்னன் பெயரில் கோன் என்று உள்ளது. அங்கு வாழ்ந்த இந்தியர்கள் கட்டுமரத்தில் பசிபிக் கடலை கடக்க முடியுமா ? இதை ஆராயப் புகுந்த நார்வே நாட்டவரின்  ஆங்கில நூல் : அதன் தமிழாக்கம் ஆசிரியர் நூற்பதிப்புக் கழகத்தால்  1958 ல் ஐந்தாயிரம் படிகள் நீதியரசர் பி.வி.ராஜமன்னார் அணிந்துரையோடு வெளிவந்தது. அதில் உள்ள வியக்கத்தக்க செய்திகள் அவர்கள் தமிழர்களே என்ற முடிவுக்கு நெடிய ஆராய்ச்சியை நான் மேற்கொண்டால் வர முடியும், வந்து மெய்பிக்க முடியும். அந்த கோன் டிகி போன கட்டுமரம் போன்ற ஒன்றை கட்டுவித்து இந்த நார்வே நாட்டவர் பசிபிக் கடலை கடந்த பயண அனுபவங்களை இந்நூல் கூறும். இந்நூலில் ஆராய்ச்சிக்குரிய கருதுகோள்கள் பற்றி சற்று  விரிவாக சொல்ல உள்ளேன். 

1.அந்நூலின் 44 வது பக்கத்தில் கடலைத் தாண்டிச் செல்லும் போது  ஒருவகை செடியின் இலையைக் கொண்டு சென்றனர். அதைக் கடித்துச் சுவைப்பதனால் தாகம் நீங்குமாம். அவ்விலையை பொடி செய்து   ஒரு சிட்டிகை அளவு சேர்த்தால் கடல்நீர் குடிக்கக் கூடிய நீராகுமாம்.  

இது போன்ற பல செய்திகளை ஆய்வு செய்தாக வேண்டும், நான் பெரு நாடு போக வேண்டும். புரவலர்கள் இல்லை. பல்கலைகழங்கள் கதவை தட்டினால் தமிழின் தொன்மை வெளிப்பட்டுவிடுமோ என்று தடைக்கு மேல் தடை. அவர்கள் தமிழர்கள் அல்ல, இந்தியர்கள் என்று எழுதவாவது இந்திய நாடாளும் வர்க்கம் அனுமதிக்குமா ?  

பர்மாவில் மக்கள் ஆட்சி மீட்சியும் தமிழர்களும்

உலகக் கவிஞர் சுத்தானந்த பாரதியார்

TAMIL DIGITAL RENAISSANCE - TAMIL NET 97

TAMIL DIGITAL RENAISSANCE

TamilNet '97 

[see also http://www.infitt.org/tamilnet97/welcome.html]

International Symposium
for Tamil Information Processing and Resources on the Internet

Jointly organised by the National University of Singapore and
the National Institute of Education of Nanyang Technological University
on 17 May 1997 at the Auditorium, Computer Centre, NUS.

17-18 May 1997, Singapore
Conference Chair -Naa Govindasamy, National Institute of Education

Theme/Topics

The theme of the symposium was to promote the use of Tamil on the Internet. Presentations were geared towards a wide range of audience from general Internet users to content developers. Suggested topics of interest included, but were not limited to:

Tamil and the Internet

Tamil and the World Wide Web (WWW)

Character set issues on the Internet and WWW

Standardization

Keyboard Input Methods

Language processing issues with Tamil

Education on the Internet

Library and archival concerns

Business-related topics

Case studies

Sessions

The two day Symposium provided the following type of sessions:

Keynote presentations

Technical presentations

Open discussion sessions

Discussion Forum - A Summary Report

The 2 hour-long discussion session on the second day of the symposium came to a fruitful ending. The discussion panel (a total of 11 members) was led by Sujatha and included N. Anbarasan, S Kuppuswami, ST Nandasara, Kuppuswamy Kalyanasundaram, Malaan, Harold Schiffman, Vasu Renganathan, Muthelilan Murasu Nedumaran, Naa Govindasamy and Tan Tin Wee. The topics discussed includes -

Increasing Tamil Content Worldwide

Keyboard Diversity

Encoding Standards

Standardization of Tamil Websites and WebPages

Work to be done/Time Frame

Next Symposium - TamilNet'98

பனை ஓலையில் இருந்து, கணிப்பொறித் திரை வரை... நான்காவது தமிழ் உதயமாகிறது

TAMIL DIGITAL RENAISSANCEபனை ஓலையில் இருந்து, கணிப்பொறித் திரை வரை...
 நான்காவது தமிழ் உதயமாகிறது

Nadesan Satyendra
May 1998, revised March 2007

"..The print revolution brought Tamil from the ola leaves to paper, from the select few literati to the many. The digital revolution is bringing Tamil from paper to the computer and the internet. Swaminathatha Iyer and Thamotherampillai heralded the Tamil renaissance in the 19th century. Today, a Tamil digital renaissance is taking place - and is helping to bring Tamil people together not simply culturally but also in political and economic terms..." Nadesan Satyendra, May 1998

---

The agricultural revolution and the river valley civilisations led to the rise of the early cities of the Tamil people. The mercantile expansion of the maritime powers of Europe, led to the colonisation of the Tamil homeland both in South India and in Eelam (known as Ceylon to the British and as Sri Lanka to the Sinhalase). The colonisation was led by Great Britain, France, Portugal, and the Dutch. The industrial revolution fuelled that expansion, led to the breakdown of feudalism and the birth of nation states in Europe - and, at the same time stifled industrialisation and the organic growth of nations in the colonial empires.

It was with the departure of the colonial rulers, in the aftermath of the Second World War that the nations of the fourth world have begun to assert their identity. The Tamils are one such nation.

Today, the third wave - the digital revolution - is rendering State boundaries increasingly porous. It has enabled the building of net communities and is helping to bring a new sense of togetherness to Tamils living in many lands and across distant seas. 

The paper presented by Scott Crawford and Kekula Bray-Crawford at the Internet Society Conference in 1995, provides useful insights on Self Determination in the Information Age and so does Piet Bakker in New Nationalism: The Internet Crusade.

"The swiftly evolving information and communication technologies and networking infrastructures are playing an expanding role in supporting the self-determination of peoples and emergent nations...." Scott Crawford and Kekula Bray-Crawford on Self Determination in the Information Age, 1995

"Although it is sometimes argued that the nation state is becoming less important and we’re heading towards a global village, evidence is also pointing the other way. Nationalism is flourishing – almost every armed conflict in the modern world has nationalistic roots. One of the most visible aspects of the new nationalism is the spread of nationalistic online activities...."Piet Bakker in New Nationalism: The Internet Crusade, 2001

Alex Salmond, Scottish National Party Leader has rightly remarked -

"As our world has become more complex and inter-connected, the need for nations to be independent with a direct say in regional and global affairs has become more important - not less. In 1945, there were only 51 members of the new United Nations. In our new century, there are nearly 200 independent UN members - and more than 30 of these have emerged since the end of the Cold War. Thus in the modern world, the processes of independence and interdependence are mutually supportive and reinforcing. The political imperative to share the same state for reasons of building a large domestic market, or great power projection, is a fundamentally outdated 19th-and 20th-century concept."

Dr.N.Kannan has explored some aspects of the virtual reality of the Tamil world in a thoughtful essay in Tamil. For more than 70 million  Tamil people, Nicholas Negroponte's 'being digital' is already taking on a whole new meaning - and, it seems, may do so increasingly in the years to come.

The low transaction cost of setting up in cyberspace has fuelled an exponential growth in the world wide web. The digital revolution is a great leveller - but it is not only that:

"When the printing press was invented it didn’t merely level the playing field to make information more freely available to all levels of society, rather it revolutionised society by providing a new, cheap method of disseminating information to far more people than could be accommodated by the handwritten copying of manuscripts in monasteries. In the information age the internet provides the opportunity to pass on vast quantities of information at little incremental cost to every form of trader, investor and market counterpart. The old hegemony of existing institutional investors, exchanges and brokers is doomed to collapse under the ‘new reality’. Just as the clerics lost power after the printing press, the information revolution undermines the power of established financial institutions." (Patrick Young & Thomas Theys - Co-authors of the Capital Market Revolution )

The digital revolution is undermining the power of not only established 'financial' institutions, but other institutions as well. It has begun to give democracy a new dimension and the politically awakening fourth world has found a new instrument for self expression.

At the sametime, John Harrington's essay titled 'The Media, Framing, and the Internet: Dominant Ideologies Persist '  introduces a necessary note of caution.

"...in earlier times violence and the threat of physical force was used to maintain order. But today control is pursued through very different avenues; most effectively.... through cultural control, or ‘controlling the common sense’.... the dominated are encouraged to see the world as the powerful do, using the various media in this manner is obviously an excellent and efficient means of control..."

Again, as Dr.Sathyabalan points out, there is a need to recognise the impact of the market economy and globalisation on the future of  Tamil language and Tamil culture.

"We cannot protect Tamil unless we understand the economic logic of the so-called ‘development’ that the West seeks to sell to us. That economic logic begins from the concept and ideology of the market. Economics is linked to exchange (irrespective of what is exchanged)... The crux of the matter is that exchange is always dominated by the powerful and therefore it is more favourable to them since they can determine the terms and conditions of that exchange/trade. This is one of the key reasons for the poor and poor nations becoming vulnerable, losing their assets and becoming indebted.... While we may take many initiatives towards promoting Tamil, we should also oppose ... the attempt to globalise cultures and commoditise our lives. This is crucial to protect Tamil in the years to come."

On the one hand,  the digital revolution is rendering State boundaries increasingly porous to money, information and goods. On the other hand, the existing world order, criminalises the movement of persons to better their livelihood - and labels those who do so as 'economic refugees'. 

The remarks of Jeremy Seabrook, who has devoted his life to writing about poverty and resistance in both North and South, are not without a particular urgency:

"Globalisation permits money and goods to move around the world unimpeded, yet criminalises the other indispensable element of production, labour, when it seeks to move to where it can command a decent livelihood. And in the process, the treasures of the earth are mined, ravaged and consumed at an accelerating rate. Globalisation is imperialism by another name; the world market is an extension of the global imperial adventure of the nineteenth century; and the majority of the working class are now located not in the tenements of Berlin and Glasgow, the immigrant apartment blocks of Chicago and New York, but in the terrible slums of Asia, the favelas of Latin America, the townships of Africa...

The story of labour holds sober lessons. It shows that it is not only as workers that people need emancipation from the totalising dogmas of neo-liberalism, but as consumers too, as complete human beings. There is a new urgency to the need to formulate a richer form of liberation than that envisaged by the revolutionaries and pioneers of labour... (Jeremy Seabrook in the New Internationalist, January/February 1999)

To the Tamil nation, of more than 70 million people, struggling to be recognised, the digitising of information whilst enabling easier means of communication across state boundaries will also, hopefully, help them, as a people, to formulate 'a richer form of liberation than that envisaged by the revolutionaries and pioneers of labour'.  The Digital Media continues to serve as a 'force multiplier' in the Tamil Eelam freedom struggle.

Digitisation opens up new economic opportunities and economic markets of value to the Tamil people. Tamil entrepreneurs are already tapping into this market to profit by serving a felt need. Their efforts will  cement the growing togetherness of the Tamil people to the extent that they are also mindful of the need to serve.

"I believe that leadership is not a position. It’s a combination of something you are (your character) and something you do (your skills and competence). In addition, I believe the best model for leadership is that of a servant leader, who leads by serving the needs of people...." (Ken Melrose Chairman and CEO of The Toro Company, a Fortune 500 Company)

Tamil magazines, internet newsgroups, mailing lists  and websites continue to multiply month by month. The classics of Tamil language and literature are being digitised and made available to hundreds of thousands who had not read them before. A fresh impetus has been given to new writers and poets, musicians and dancers.

The Wellcome Library in London has mounted records in its online catalogue  for around 2800 Tamil books on medicine and allied topics that it  purchased on microfilm from the Roja Muthiah Research Library in Chennai. The collection is publicly available for research, and the Library would like to encourage the use ofthis collection. The Library is  privately-owned and  is open, free of charge to all researchers into medical history and allied topics.

The decision of the Indian government (in New Delhi) to privatise ISPs has encouraged this growth. India with a large reservoir of science graduates, software programmers, and system analysts may be in a position to take advantage of the digital revolution, though it had missed out on the industrial revolution. The decision to privatise was taken in November 1997 and was implemented an year later in November 1998. In 1999, India had only 500,000 Internet users but toady there are several millions.

Amongst the languages of India, Tamil has already developed a considerable presence in the Internet. Much research has gone into the development of Tamil fonts and software and the move towards standardisation of font encoding will increase interoperability. Part of this effort has come from those involved in the struggle for Tamil Eelam, and the need to secure international recognition of the justice of that struggle. The rest has come from dedicated individuals living in many lands.

Tamil Nadu's Information Technology policy statement in November 1997 set guidelines for the state's role in the digital revolution and promises to provide better connectivity and facilitate better infrastructure. The declared initiatives "included according 'industry status' to software units; putting on par government and private IT ventures; the setting up of Tanitec, the IT institute; mooting a venture capital corpus for IT industries and the 50 per cent 'floor space index' relaxation for IT projects."

The state's proposal for setting up a T-Net information backbone connecting all district headquarters in the state, using the cable TV network was an important breakthrough. This was followed in February 1999 by  Tamilnet'99  - an international Tamil conference on the use of Tamil in Information Technology and theannouncement of the move to establish a Tamil Internet Research Centre.

"The 75 million-strong Tamil speaking population worldwide has received a boost in cyberspace, thanks to a $1.25 million local language initiative launched by the Tamil Nadu government to promote online content.... Several semi-commercial efforts have thus far been launched to globally coordinate Web publishing and online business among the Tamil population, such as ChennaiOnline, International Tamils Motivational Movement,TamilNet and TamilNation...A global Tamil village is in the making," said Ramasamy Chidambaram Pillay, Minister for Education and Science,Mauritius..." Tamil Nadu Implements Tamil Language Net Plan, 1999

In June 1999, the Tamil Nadu government made order standardising Tamil font encoding standard and unveiled a new standardised Tamil keyboard. TheElectronic Corporation of Tamil Nadu website   illustrates the growing role that the internet has begun to play in Tamil Nadu and the remarks of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.Karunanithi at the  Inaugration of the Tidel  Park for IT Industries in Chennai, July 2000 underlined the importance of that growth:

"Out of the 23,000 engineers who graduate every year from Tamilnadu, 13,000 are from information technology-related disciplines, coming from institutions of excellence such as Indian Institute. of Technology, Chennai; Anna University; PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, etc. Software exports from Tamilnadu have increased from a mere Rs. 36 crore in 1994-95 to a phenomenal Rs. 400 crore in 1997-98 and continues to grow at a CAGR of over 70%. The hardware exports in the year 1997-98 are in excess of Rs. 700 crore. With over 15,000 professionals presently working in Tamilnadu, we have one of the largest pools of software professionals in the country."

The Third International Tamil Internet Conference 'Tamil Internet 2000' held in Singapore launched  the International Forum for Information Technology in Tamil (INFITT). The words of its  Executive Director, Mr.Arun Mahizhnan at Tamil Internet 2000 sought to encapsulated the elements of the Tamil digital revolution:

"...As with any journey, one has to start with the first step - usually a small step. In the Tamil diaspora's case, we have taken several long strides in the short time so far. We now have to chart the course for a long journey. However, in true Internet spirit, market forces will decide the fate of this peregrination. The Tamil community is fortunate, as it is resource rich in terms of knowledge, technology, culture and creativity which are critical success factors in the webworld. Perhaps the three elements that will shape Tamil Internet are community, content, and commerce. In a world of simultaneous aggregation and disaggregation, the Tamil community should take advantage of aggregation to leverage its not inconsiderable strength of 65 million members..."

Tamil Internet 2001 in Kuala Lumpur, Tamil Internet 2002 in San Francisco,  Tamil Internet 2003 - Chennai and Tamil Internet 2004 - Singapore reflect the continuing efforts of INFITT to nurture the Tamil digital revolution.

The Vanni Institute of Technology was established by the International Tamil Technical Professionals' Organization in June 2003 in the town of Kilinochchi in Tamil Eelam. Its  object was to teach the latest technology to the people of Tamil Eelam, generate high-tech employment in the region and prepare them to compete in the international market.

Many Tamil software professionals (in the so called 'developed world') are looking at returning to their homeland as the political and economic climate becomes more attuned to their own aspirations - for themselves and their children. The digital revolution may be laying the foundations for a reverse brain drain in the years to come.

At the same time, masses of people in Tamil Nadu, Malaysia, in Tamil Eelam and in the island of Sri Lanka will benefit from their interaction with the Tamil diaspora - an interaction which has only just begun and an interaction which will be a two way process. Digitisation is enabling the Tamil diaspora to link back with its roots more easily - nourish those roots and in turn be nourished by the invigorating contact with the ground. Globalisation and localisation are taking place at the same time.

Mark P. Whitaker of the University of South Carolina argued in 2004 -

".. Tamilnetcom, an Internet news agency put together by a group of Sri Lankan Tamils to address the Tamil diaspora and influence English-speaking elites, subverted international news coverage during Sri Lanka's civil war by making "ironic" use of the discursive styles of journalism and anthropology... (and) that this constituted a particular form of autoethnographic popular anthropology that challenged professional anthropology, and in some ways sought to replace it."

In April 2005 Red Hat launched a  Tamil version of the Linux operating system -

"..Red Hat India, a provider of open source solutions has launched a Tamil version of its Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system ..
In addition to the operating system, the Red Hat Enterprise Linux version 4-Tamil includes office suite with a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation tool as well as a web browser (Firefox) and e-mail client. ..Red Hat is targeting the government and educational institutions for marketing its software... The cost for the entire Linux version-4 Tamil suite subscription cost is Rs 1,950, which includes telephonic and web-based technical support for the first year and upgrades for seven years..."

In the same month Microsoft launched its  Tamil interface in Tamil Nadu -

"Microsoft India has launched Office Tamil 2003, a Tamil language interface that provides users a complete range of applications. The product was officially launched by M Karunanidhi, former chief minister of Tamil Nadu, and Dayanidhi Maran, Union minister of communication and information technology..."

And Tamil Language Computing Initiatives Launch at Chennai on 15 April 2005 was marked by the Release of Free ‘Tamil Software Tools & Fonts’.

The Swiss Tamil Educational Project in Information Technology for Homeland  has as its objective -

 "தாயகத்திலுள்ள பின்தங்கிய பிரதேச மாணவர்களுக்கு கணனிக்கல்வியைக் கற்பித்தலும் தொடர்ந்து மேம்படுத்தலும்."

The Kanini Project, Tamil Nadu led by major Tamil writer Sujatha Rangarajan is aimed at providing a 100% Tamil desktop PC with open source applications to the Tamil community.

In March 2007,  Tamil Nadu finalized a tender for 40,000 Lenovo dual boot desktops which can be installed with both Novell's Suse Linux and Microsoft's Windows XP Starter Edition. According to C. Umashankar, managing director of Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu (Elcot), the desktops will be deployed across schools and government departments in the state.

The print revolution brought Tamil from the ola leaves to paper, from the select few literati to the many. The digital revolution is bringing Tamil from paper to the computer and the internet. Swaminathatha Iyer and Thamotherampillai heralded the Tamil renaissance in the 19th century.  Today, a Tamil digital renaissance is taking place - and is helping to bring Tamil people together not simply culturally but also in political and economic terms. 

ARINGNAR ANNA PASSES AWAY

LET THAMIZHAGAM REMEMBER THE STRUGGLE 

TO ENSURE ANNA's DREAM COME TRUE

 3 rd Febraury 1969: The entire population of Tamilnadu literally seems to be present in Chennai. The demise of Anna brought sea of humanity to the sands of marina beach. To have a last glimpse of the leader every Tamil came perched on the roof tops of over crowded trains, buses and all modes of transport, including by foot. The Madras bound Janet Express was full beyond its capacity and people were in its roof unfortunately when the train crossed the Coleroon Bridge in between Coleroon and Chidambaram stations. Alas! 28 persons were crushed to death and 70 injured in that train where Anna's brothers traveled to have the last minute glimpse of his body. It was a matter of single minded devotion to reach Rajaji Hall where Anna's body was kept for public view that drove every Tamilian. Loss of even lives did not deter them from their determination. The entire police summoned to control crowds could not perform and they resorted to burst tear gas shells several times. I was there in the stampede running to the underground passage of Anna Salai to escape tear gas with burning eyes full of tears already for having lost my mentor.

The Guinness book of Records says " that the funeral of Anna was attended by the largest number of people in the world " Panruti S.Ramachandran in his preface to the book "Anna Speaks- at the Rajya Sabha 1962-66" writes ' The century had witnessed only 3 funerals comparable to anywhere like that of Anna's. The first one was that of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhara Tilak at Bombay in 1920, the second was that of Mahatma Gandhi in Delhi in 1948 and the third was that of Jawaharlal Nehru in Delhi in 1964". He also writes ' another striking feature of the entire funeral procession was the predominance of ordinary people like sweepers, scavengers, slum dwellers and hut dwellers'. In that see of humanity I braved my way where the pit to bury Anna was dug and took handful of that sand which for two decades I preserved till my family members threw it away without knowing its sentimental value. I took the oath not to eat fish for a year to mourn Anna's demise. I was so fond of fish that I cannot remain without eating it. Apart from my personal feelings which by sheer luck I am recording here, millions felt their lives have lost its meaning in a land without Anna. But for Anna, our motherland would not have been named as Tamil Nadu.

The struggle for naming of Tamil Nadu is yet to be written as separate book. Let me reproduce few lines “Tamil Nadu was once named after its capital city, Madras.The situation was a complicated one. Even Congressmen spoke of Tamil Nadu within the state, reserving Madras State for letters and speeches meant for external consumption. To appease the Tamil people they even changed the name of Aranmore Palace in Ooty to Tamizhagam. But they were not willing to set right this anomaly by making a Constitutional amendment. It was Thiru.Bhupesh Gupta of the Communist party who took the initiative in 1961 by introducing a private members bill to amend the first schedule entry number 7 of the Constitution. The purpose of the Bill was to call the Madras State by its rightful name Tamil Nadu in conformity with the historical, linguistic and cultural considerations. Anna's impassionate defense of this bill will be long remembered for its sincere emotion and clear cut reasoning.

The adamant Center refused to yield and opposed the private member's motion to call "Madras State" by its rightful name Tamil Nadu. With its majority the Congress party defeated the Bill, but the change could not be resisted for long. Four years later in 1967 when the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam was elected to power in Madras State, Anna as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu achieved his objective with unanimous backing of both Houses of the State legislature. Today there is no Madras State, only Tamil Nadu" Panruti Ramachandran's note in the book mentions.

But we must also remember Sangaralinganaar who fasted to death for this cause in spite of being a Congressman."Thamizh Naadu" should not be misspelt as Tamil Nadu. Is it not our duty to set this right, while saluting all who gave up their lives for the cause of Tamil Nadu.

N.Nandhivarman General Secretary Dravida Peravai

ANNA DREAMS OF TAMILS UPLIFT

Mr. Chancellor, Mr. Pro-Chancellor Mr. Vice- Chancellor, Graduates of the Year and Friends:

Thankful as I am for the unique honor conferred on me by this institution, it is not without hesitation as a good deal of trepidation that I stand before this august assembly to-day to deliver the Convocation address, for though it is a pleasure to be present on the happy occasion of greeting the graduates of the year and wishing them all a bright and prosperous future, it is not an easy task to place before them appropriate guidelines-conscious as I am of my own limitations and aware of the eminence of those who stood at this rostrum in the past and gave weighty and worthy advice to the graduates. Stalwarts in various walks of life, scholars of erudition and experience, administrators of rare abilities, have all been here to deliver instructive discourses, and I do not for a moment imagine that I have the capacity to add any thing substantial to what has been already said by those who preceded me. I am convinced therefore that to be called upon to deliver this  address is not so much an invitation as a command to me bestow the most careful and considered thought on the role of Universities in general and of the Annamalai University in particular.

The fact that I am conscious of my own limitations gives me a sense of relief, for attempt I shall not to offer original ideas or theories with a special stamp, but only reiterate some of the cardinal principles enunciated by those who offered their a advice in past years, perhaps with annotations here and there, bringing to bear the lay-man’s point of view to the findings of experts in various fields connected with education.

This is the age of the common man-whatever the regrets some might have –and it’s his point of view that matters most and I do claim to represent him in all his ruggedness.

Systems and schools of thought, whether it is in philosophy or politics, ethics or economics, are certainly meant for him. Of course, the interpretation should come from scholars and experts and the art of translating them into every day activity is to be undertaken by the administrators. Universities, as the repositories of knowledge and the nursing ground for the emissaries of thought wisdom and service, have got a prominent  role to play-and the prominence is growing every day, as more and more individuals get themselves equipped for the task of bettering society in all its age when we have eschewed monarchy and autocracy and have inaugurated the era of democracy.

During the monarchical or feudal days, Universities had to train scholars and poets to adorn the chambers of Royalty or the gilded mansions of Lord and nobles and their wisdom was meant for the mansion, not for the market place. Those were days when numbers did not count, nor were eminent scholars asked to face the problems confronting the masses. They were content to work in secluded spheres, far from the din and noise of the common man and weave the costly fabric of philosophy of poetry which on turn was to be converted into dazzling garments for the select and the privileged.

The role of the University to-day is not cloistered and confined as in the past. Its function has been enlarged-not in its fundamentals but in its domain. It has to take into account the commonness, but to trim and train, guide and lead him, for asked to do his duty as the citizen of a democracy-a task which kindles sweet hopes but which demands, patience and perseverance, faith and confidence, faith in himself and in others and confidence in his inherent ability to shoulder the responsibilities. The common man has become the birth place of a potential ruler and the duty today, the responsibility today of the universities is to fashion out of him as an individual fitted and equipped for the task of making democracy fruitful and effective.

I said that the duties and responsibilities of Universities have grown in dimension and scope, but pointed out that the fundamentals remain unaltered and these fundamentals are of permanent value and of perennial interest. The supreme task before the University is to give those who seek a vision of knowledge in its true proportions and perspectives, to maintain the sovereignty of ideas and ideals in the world. A balanced mind, the ability to discriminate between what is merely trivial and what is important, the capacity to look at a problem from all its angles without fear or favour, to be tolerant of the other man’s point of view. These are fundamentals which are unalterable and it’s only the universities that can provide society with a continuous stream of men and women endowed with these qualities.

While addressing the University of Brussels, Dr.s.Radhakrishnan, our former president, made the following statement:

“For its proper functioning democracy requires more qualities than other forms of government. It is in the universities that we can develop the true spirit of democracy, appreciation of other points of view and adjustment of differences through discussions. It can be kept healthy and strong by the exercise of individual responsibility and judgement.in universities we have to re-call the struggles of the past and realize the perils and possibilities, the challenges and opportunities, of the present.”

Democracy is not a form of government alone –it is an invitation to a new life-an experiment in the art of sharing responsibilities and benefits-an attempt to generate the common task. Hence we cannot afford to waste a single talent, improverish a single man or woman or allow a single individual to be stunted in growth or held under tyranny and the universities should through the graduates it sends forth year after year, annihilate the forces that attempt at aggrandizement and tyranny, fight against caste and hypocrisy and enthrone human dignity.

Graduates of the year, I wish you all a prosperous future-for, after all, the immediate concern of every individual, graduate or no graduate, is to acquire the means for a decent living. That is the first motivation for all human activity and no one can ignore it, but that ought not to be the sole objective. Something higher and nobler than mere individual material advancement is expected of you – for remember that this University education is a privilege that you enjoy, for which you are deeply indebted to the community of which you are a member. Most of the money needed for maintaining institutions of higher education come from the revenues collected from the community through the State, and a good proportion of that revenue comes from the tillers and the toilers, men who did not enjoy this privilege, men who willingly submit themselves to discomfort, so that they can enable the next generation to lead a better life. Graduates of the Annamalai University, may I ask you, how you are going to repay – what is to be your contribution to the social chest on which you have drawn so largely. Unless you replenish it richly, coming generations will find only an empty coffer. Your superior education increases your responsibility to society and therefore, apart from or along with your own individual advancement, society has got a right to expect an adequate return from you – not so much in terms of money as in terms of service – in toning up society, in bringing light into the dark alleys, sunshine into dingy places, solace into the afflicted, hope unto the despondent and a new life unto every one.

That this is a welcome and worthy ideal none would dispute, but not every one will come forward to translate that ideal into action – and yet our ancient as well as modern thinkers have all stated in unmistakable terms that wisdom is manifested in action.

Unless service is the outcome, the sermons become sweet nothings. As Jefferson stated,

“We must dream of an aristocracy of achievements arising out of a democracy of opportunities”

And when I seek your help and co-operation in the supreme task of serving society, please do not wink and smile and say, it is all so easy to say. I am not unaware of the difficulties in the way, nor am I going to brush aside the influence of the environment on you. May be, the world in which you are to begin the journey is one which will dim your hope, disturb your determination. You may come face to face with the unpleasant sight of practices widely differing from the principles inculcated in you. You may find self-seekers enthroned and the patient worker decried. Tyranny of all sorts may stare at you and every step you take will be a struggle. I admit that the environment is such that even people with robust optimism will be discouraged and forced to take to the part of ease and comfort.

But, we should also realize that a continuous stream of men and women endowed with the spirit of service has been carrying on the crusade successfully and have conferred rich benefit on humanity.

We, the Tamilians have been holding aloft this ideal for more than two thousand years and hence we find in pura nanuru this passage,

"c©lhš m«k ï›îyf« . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

jk¡bfd Kayh neh‹whŸ

ãw®¡bfd KaYe® c©ik ahnd!"

As inheritors of that rich legacy, you are best fitted to overcome even the environment and serve society to the best of your abilities,

Anyone, who proposes to do good must not expect people to roll stones out of his way, but must accept his lot calmly if they even roll a few more upon it. A strength which becomes clearer and stronger through its experience of such obstacles is the only strength that can conquer them – says Albert Schweitzer.

Though the problems in various countries are of a similar nature, the peculiarity attached to the problems of our country is of a pronounced nature.

Ours is not case of starting from scratch-had that been the case the only thing needed would have been the intensity of effort to be put forth. Ours is a case of erosion of the mind – we are not in search of fields, but have to engage in the task of fertilizing it, irrigating it, we are not in search of ideals, but are engaged in the more intricate task of classifying, codifying and verifying layers of ideals. We are not wanting in culture-but have to cleanse it from the cob-web of time and de-adulterate it. In short, we have to re-discover ourselves, and re-construct our entire thought. Once task to-day is to allow fresh air and sunshine and regain the original shape and stature – that which made us well

Known is distant lands and climes.Our literature, art and architecture are fine specimens of human intelligence – but they bear the ravages of time and also the effect of currents and cross currents so that to-day we have to listen to the foreign historian or scholar in order to realize the “glory and grandeur” of our own country.

Age commands veneration –but unless it is recuperated, decay sets in. our culture and civilization are hoary, but we have allowed scars and wrinkles to disfigure them. It is our duty therefore to re-discover and re-construct what is ours and enrich it by drawing liberally upon the achievements of other countries.

Our problem is not want of a system –in any branch of knowledge. We have fine specimens in all spheres. We claim also –and that rightly –immortality for our systems, but we have not succeeded in keeping them fresh and young, effective and energetic, for we have allowed them to decay.

If a system has to endure, says, Dr.Radhakrishnan, it must be perpetually young and ready to change. In other words, it must be capable of accepting new ideas, have the resilience of mind which the young have, have the openness, flexibility and spirit of adventure by which they accept what is given to them and transform it out of recognition.

Eos, a goddess falling in love with a mortal, prayed to god to grant immortality to the lover-‘yes’, said god, and the mortal gained immortality. But he grew old, infirm, senile, decayed –and what was a feast once to the eyes of Eos became a sight to shun and grieve over –and he who gained immortality longed for death – for what is life if it becomes a prey to decay? Then Eos sighed and said, “I prayed for immortality for my lover, forgetting to pray for perpetual youth.”

We in this country are facing some such situation – and we are in charge of the task of rejuvenating our culture and civilization – our entire thought, instead of attempting that, we have been, for too long a period, doting upon the decayed forms attempting to defend them from critics and currents of new thought. And while other parts of the world, after persistent and patient search after truth, have arrived at new conclusions and are scaling new heights, we are content to sit near the shattered rampart and narrate past glory.

Our religion has degenerated into rituals, our society which was once classless and casteless has degenerated into water –tight compartments of caste and creed and all the while, we have kept either silent or have been supplying defense to superstition and orthodoxy by offering liberal allowing this state of affairs to exist, despite condemnation and protest, and, more than that, whenever a doughty warrior comes forth to fight against the evils prevalent, we decry and denounce him as an annihilator of noble values and hoary systems. Periyar Ramasami represents and symbolizes the fury and frustration in a sizable section of society at this state of affairs. To allow systems to degenerate and at the same time denounce those who champion the cause of rationalism is but to perpetuate superstition and orthodoxy and allow this society of ours to get decomposed.

Universities offer the proper forum for a free and full discussion of these intricate problems and graduates trained here are to go forth as emissaries of that social reconstruction which is long over due. The country looks to centers of learning like this

Universities to enable the people to pursue the path of progress, braving difficulties and if need be, courting danger.

Graduates of the Annamalai University, let me call upon you to carry on the crusade against caste which cannot co-exist with democracy, against superstition which cannot co-exist with science and against tyranny of various dimensions which cannot co-exist with liberty, equality and fraternity.

Pursuing vocations for your and your families’ well being, you have to perform your duty towards society. You are to become torch – bearers of rationalism – and rationalism does not mean repudiation of basic and fundamental truths and maxims, but the annihilation of dubious modes of thought and action. You have to work hard and with daring and dash, for we have to clear cob-webs which are centuries old and let reason reign supreme.

Another peculiar feature of our times is the fact that we are a nation in the making, and if in their anxiety to forge integration, some confuse unity with uniformity, it is the duty of men trained here to clearly enunciate the principle and see to it that, in the name of unity, no part of the country is made to become the vassal of another part-knowingly or unknowingly. We cannot be a party to foul play, however worthy the goal. Just on the eve of independence Rajaji stated with an acumen all his own, “our political experiment is really like melting iron and metals and pouring them in to a crucible and making an alloy, an alloy which can stand wear and tear . It is not like the chinaware that other people have turned out in their countries. Their democracies were easy to make – like plastics. But we are dealing with metals.” National integration is a goal, worthy and much – sought after, but neither in the field of language nor in the economic sphere, could we tolerate injustice and domination. That is exactly why this government was brought into existence – it represents the determination of the people to be coerced into accepting Hindi as the official language.

When we plead for the continuance of English as the link language, some people do misrepresent us and misinterpret our motive. They trot out untenable arguments and disputable statistics, bring in the bogey of disintegration and want to silence people by threats and troops. Problems were never solved by autocratic methods – and this problem of language is intimately connected with our way of life, not for the present alone but for the future as well.

The government of Tamilnadu has stated in unmistakable terms that Tamil and English can serve all our purposes, the former as the official language of this state and the latter as the link language. If it is accepted and the most emphatic of Hindi protagonists do accept that - if it is accepted that English can serve admirably as a link between our state and the outside world, why plead for Hindi to be the link language here? What serves to link us with the outside world is certainly capable of rendering the same service inside India as well. To plead for two link languages is like boring a smaller hole in a wall for the kitten while there is a bigger one for the cat. What suits the cat will suit the kitten as well

English is foreign, some argue, as if we were out to destroy or give up everything foreign. We bring foreign wear in foreign ships. We seek foreign aid not only in the shape of money bur also in the from of technical know-how and not a week passes without one or other leader undertaking a journey to the west or east to secure whatever aid is possible to secure. And on top of all these things, we have given up so many systems peculiarly our own.

We are not content with rural economy, we want Trombays and Ennores. And we are not conscious of their being foreign; only in the matter of language we pose as being ultra –nationalists and dub the English language as foreign.

Shelly and Byron, Keats and Coleridge, Emerson and Bacon-they are not foreign to us in the strict sense of the term. Is Tiruvalluvar a mere Tamilian? They are all world citizens – world teachers. And the language enshrining their thoughts is not to be discarded just because it comes from another country. That we are not going to accord a higher status to English is borne out by the fact that we have accepted and are implementing with due caution the principle of making Tamil the medium of instruction in colleges –progressively.

University education is an epitome of all that is best in thought cultivated in various countries, and from you should radiate universal thought and cosmopolitan ideas.

And if we are to get all these and more from out of the graduates of the University we have to re-examine the methods in vogue in universities, in teaching and in administration, and so perfect them that every student feels that he is a co-sharer of the pleasure and privilege of knowledge along with his professors. I shall not dabble in methods of teaching or administration-experts in that field are the natural custodians-my plea is only as regards the necessity for a re-examination.

While the functions assigned to universities are mostly of the same type, the Annamalai University, by its structure and spirit, has got a special function of its own. The great founder’s nobility and generosity has made this institution gain the esteem of eminent men here and elsewhere; but if we analyze the thought and motive force of Rajah Sir Annamalai Chettiar, we will find that he wanted this place to be not only a seat of learning and research of Tamil Culture and Tamil polity. He had the foresight to realize that Tamilians were going to cultivate their special talents and that was exactly why he started and made a success of the Tamil Isai Movement. Rajah Sir was never a man of tall talk-he believed in solid work and he knew the time was bound to come for us to delve deep into our annals and literature, culture and civilization and succeed in getting due and adequate recognition in the world forum.

Truly great has been our achievement in the field of literature. To be able to announce to the world that we the Tamilians do process.

“e‰¿id ešy FWªbjhid I§FWü

bwh¤j gâ‰W¥g¤ njh§F gÇghlš

f‰w¿ªnjh® V¤J« fÈnah lf«òwbk‹

¿¤âw¤j v£L¤ bjhif”

And to present to the world the great Tirukkural which is a Code of Conduct for the entire humanity are something about which we can have pardonable pride and pleasure.

And yet, are we devoting enough attention to these Tamil Classics? Addressing the Convocation here in 1943, the late lamented Sir R.K. Shanmukham Chetty had the following to say:-

“I graduated with a complete ignorance of Tamil Culture and History: in fact with a great deal of contempt for these. I attained a fair degree of proficiency in English literature and the history of European culture. I acquired some knowledge of even Anglo- Saxon and Gothic. I read the translation of the Bible in the Gothic language , but I had not read the Kural of Valluvar. I could understand Chaucer, but the name of Ilango was nothing but a name. Even after leaving College, I kept alive my interest in these studies and built up a Library in which there was not a single Tamil book.

In my early youth when I lived in a world of my own with no sense of responsibility, all this made no difference to me and I was proud of my learning. Soon when manhood came with its cares and problems, I found myself a stranger in my own home…….Gradually I began to realize the incongruity of my scheme of life and for some time now I have been endeavoring to rectify the balance. It was only a few years ago that I seriously attempted to study some of the Tamil Classics. I find that they are fit to rank among the immortal works of the world. I now bitterly regret my neglect of the treasures of my own land.”

It was not an apologia, but the expression of a new determination and Sir R.K.Shanmukaham lived to establish the truth that he had mastered not only the Tamil language but Tamil literature as well. Had he lived for some more years, he would traveled many a land carrying the message of the Tamil Classics, which spoke at such a hoary past about

“x‹nw FyK« xUtnd njtD«”

“ahJ« Cnu ahtU« nfË®”

“Éidna Mlt®¡F cÆnu”

“ešyJ brŒjš M‰Ö uhÆD«

mšyJ brŒjš X«òÄ‹”

“v›tÊ ešyt® Mlt®

m›tÊ mšy thÊa Ãynd”

“bršt¤J¥ gand <jš”

“ÔJ« e‹W« ãw® ju thuh”

“gF¤J©L gšYÆ® X«òjš ünyh®

bjhF¤jt‰WŸ všyh« jiy”

Thoughts now placed before the world as blossoms of the modern age.

You, graduates of the Annamalai University, have got undertake the special task of carrying the message that our classics contain to the entire world and declare that what was the most ancient here is what is being introduced to-day as the most modern.

South India is the home of the most ancient culture Though for a fairly long period there was the mist of ignorance, thick and widespread, it has now been acknowledge by all that Dravidian Civilization of a highly developed character can be traced back to the second and third millennia before Christ. Many a Foreign scholar has borne testimony to the perfection with which Tamil language has been developed into an instrument of precise and subtle thought and to the beauty and richness of the literature – which is contained in it. Dravidian literature, philosophy, art and architecture offer therefore a rich and fruitful field for exploration and critical investigation.

Not for more glorification but for a just appreciation of all that is of real value and beauty in our past heritage. We need this research and investigation.

I do not propose to talk about your responsibility in the political arena. Suffice it to say that you should make democracy safe and sound, salubrious and fruitful.

Carry the message that this Universities has given to you wherever you go, whatever the station you find yourselves in and elevate the common man- the average man-

“He seems incredible but represents two –thirds of mankind. He lives in hut. He cannot read or write. His energy is sapped by disease. He labours up to 15hours a day. He works on land he does not own. He and his family are family are usually hungry. He will die young. But he still has hopes for his children; that they will be strong and healthy; will be able to read and write, will know individual freedom in a peaceful world. This is the world’s average Man.”

And the world over, this average Man has become conscious of the injustice done to him and as a consequence we find agitations and marches, struggles and clashes. In many a country, measures to raise his level have been undertaken. Take a pledge, here and now, that we will not lag behind and leave our average man in the lurch. For if the base is weak, the dome is doomed. Inheritors as you are of a noble heritage, you are eminently fitted for this noble task, and on its success depends the future of this nation as of others.

Let us remember what Woodrow Wilson said,

“Nations are renewed from the bottom not from the top . . . real wisdom of human life is compounded out of the experiences of ordinary men. The utility, the vitality, the fruitage of life comes like the natural growth of a great tree, from the soil, up through the trunk into the branches to the foliage and the fruit. The great struggling unknown masses of the men who are not the base of everything are the dynamic force that is lifting the level of society. A nation is as great and only as great as her rank and file.”

May I submit my plea to you, youths blossoming forth from this institution, be firm but not obstinate, let here be a blending of ideas, but never cheap imitation and injurious adulteration, beware of mistaking obsessions for principles and fads for facts, strike at a synthesis and avoid subservience, view as the final on to protest against injustice but project not your own view as the final one, forget not the ancient saying

“f‰wJif« k©zsî fšyh Jyfsî”

And father not when you practice what you profess.

University education gives you the basic needs for this stupendous task, but that is not enough. Say along

I read, I study

I examine, I listen

I reflect, and out of

All this, I try to form

An idea in which I can put as

Much of commonsense

As I can.

And remember the longest journey is the journey inward, and since graduation is but the starting point of that journey, I wish you success-reach the goal yourselves-teach others to march towards the goal and let that goal be,

A world without the

beggar’s out-stretched

palm, the miser’s

heartless, stony stare,

the piteous wail of

want, the pallid face

of crime, the

livid lips of lies,

the cruel eyes

of scorn,

A race without

disease of flesh or

brain, shapely and

fair, the married

harmony of form and

use-where

life lengthens, fear

dies, joy deepens,

love intensifies, and

Man regains his

Dignity.

And to get these things realized, let us one and all strive towards the ideal enunciated by Thiruvalluvar,

“cWgáí« Xth¥ ãÂí« brWgifí«

nruh âaštJ ehL”

I am confident that you are being sent into the wide world by the Annamalai University with this objective-you are bound to win, for you are adequately equipped with the spirit supplied by this great institution. May your life be a bright one, and may its luster brighten the entire land! Accept my congratulations and march onwards, towards the land of smiles.

[Annamalai University Convocation Address of Tamilnadu Chief Minister C.N.Annadurai on 18.11.1967]