tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70639599705789938.post1296275637105564010..comments2023-08-22T04:31:42.251-07:00Comments on Devyani Writes: What Ails Tamil?Devyanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13519310476752013459noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70639599705789938.post-83781131020554893912010-08-31T03:00:15.014-07:002010-08-31T03:00:15.014-07:00Hi Anand,
Thanks very much for your detailed comm...Hi Anand,<br /><br />Thanks very much for your detailed comments, and for making me reconsider what I had written on purity. You've helped me make a distinction in my mind between using language for communication, and appreciating language as literature, art, beauty, or anything else you'd like to call it.<br /><br />I've never appreciated the classics much in English literature, and therefore, in addition to not understanding 'sen-tamizh,' that's biased me from seeing older forms of a language as beautiful. But that doesn't mean that I think they should stop teaching Shakespeare or Wuthering Heights in English classes. Similarly, I'm sure that the renewed attention that Tamil classics like Silapaddikaram are getting today is a good thing. It's insisting on using Tamil words alone for daily communication that concerns me, because I think it borders on the xenophobic.Devyanihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13519310476752013459noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70639599705789938.post-19819061551634714172010-08-28T00:51:35.215-07:002010-08-28T00:51:35.215-07:00Hi Devyani,
Very nice, well-thought out post. I l...Hi Devyani,<br />Very nice, well-thought out post. I largely agree with the points you have raised here. Completely agree with your ideas on promoting quality english language teaching at public primary schools so that everyone has access to it. Also agree with your thoughts on increasing access to govt. documents etc. for the poor.<br /><br />But in your piece, you seem to suggest that preserving the purity of Tamil is not that critical - not sure if it's as black and white as that. But, again, the Swedish model as you've presented it sounds great. If we can learn our language (be it Tamil or any other) as well as English, that would be great...that way, it's a personal choice about which language one chooses to use. The problem now, is that we, meaning city-dwelling, well-off people who *study in english medium schools* learn English better than our own language. <br /><br />And that's very sad.<br /><br />Languages are dynamic, and should be allowed to evolve...resisting such changes is I think really futile. As you rightly pointed out, it's about communication, so people are of course going to adapt it according to need and convenience. But not just Tamil (should I say'tamizh'?!) any language in its pure form has a beauty that deserves appreciation, even if not retained in that form for everyday use. So, let the scholars focus on tamil in its pure form and use it in their writings. But at least I should be able to understand the tamil news broadcasts right? (I can't).<br /><br />my own grasp of 'sen-tamizh' is next to zero, but my interest in music, has meant that i've been listening to tamil film songs for many years...and some of the lyrics reach sublime levels that can only be experienced. Try and listen to the song: 'Narumugaye, narumugaye.' from the movie Iruvar. <br /><br />I had a friend translate that song for me. The meaning was so deep, the words so intricate, that in the years hence, I've forgotten the meaning. Again, a symptom of the malaise.<br /><br />I think the reality is that we'll have songs like this co-existing with the 'Manmadha rasa's.' And that's OK.<br /><br />So, those were my random thoughts...are they all over the place? Well, you can sift through them...it's your blog dammit :-)<br /><br />Anand Krishnaswamyandyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11162652937690836095noreply@blogger.com