Is Tamil Nadu going to shut door on minority languages?
Submitted by admin3 on 23 February 2010 - 11:21pm
By Shafee Ahmed Ko, TwoCircles.net,
Chennai: This is the fear that intellectuals of minority languages in the predominant Tamil speaking state have today, thanks to the M Karunanidhi government’s Samacheer Kalvi (Equitable System of Education) policy that will be in force from the academic year 2010-2011. It is certain that due to the policy, based on two-language system (Tamil and English), the state will not allow, after 2015, Hindi, Urdu, Arabic, Persian, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada in public examinations.
The object of the government is to do away with all the languages except Tamil and English from 2016. The text books will contain syllabi extolling the Tamil scholars and Periyar's (Most of the DMK people are atheist except MGR and Jayalalithaa) teachings.
Several Urdu language intellectuals have shared their concern with TwoCircles.net. But let’s first have a look at the present language situation in the state and the present DMK government’s views about Samacheer Kalvi.
Tamil rules the roost
Tamil Nadu government gives a great deal of importance to Tamil language. Those who study Tamil as main language obtain government scholarships and get great job opportunities. Tamil leaders such as E.V. Ramasamy and Annadurai, Karunanidhi, all strong advocates of atheism, no doubt brought a renaissance in Tamil language. Their prolific writings were quite popular. Theatres and films helped them to bring alarming progress and great craze for the Tamil language. Within the span of fifty years there was a sea-change in the language both in spoken and written. All signboards bear Tamil language and all government buses carry the Tamil poet Valluar’s couplets. Being a very powerful party the ruling DMK is slowly introducing two-language policy (only Tamil and English) in the educational curriculum, which, however, is not quite apparent at the moment.
Tamils in India
Most of Indian Tamils live in the state of Tamil Nadu. Tamils are the majority in the union territory of Puducherry, a former French colony, borders Tamil Nadu. Tamils account for at least one-sixth of the population in Andaman and Nicobar Islands also.
There are also Tamil communities in other parts of India. Most of them have emerged fairly recently, dating to the colonial and post-colonial periods, but some – particularly the Hebbar and Mandyam Tamils of southern Karnataka (2.9 million), Pune, Maharashtra (1.4 million), Andhra Pradesh (1.2 million), Palakkad in Kerala (0.6 million), and Delhi (0.1 million) – date back to at least the medieval period.
Tamil Nadu population
Hindus: 88.34%
Christians: 6.08%
Muslims: 5.57%
Others: 0.26%
Population: Tamil speaking 50%
Population: Urdu, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada speaking (Linguistic minorities) 50 %( Approximately)
(Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin admits it)
Govt’s views on Samacheer Kalvi (Equitable System of Education)
Equitable standard school education does not mean imposition of the syllabus of one stream on others, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi clarified last week. A common syllabus would be prepared, incorporating the best of all the streams. An analysis of the syllabi of the streams had revealed that there was not much difference, Mr. Karunanidhi said in a statement.
At present, the State has four streams – State Board, Matriculation, Anglo-Indian and Oriental. Last month, the Cabinet decided to adopt the system of equitable standard school education. The Chief Minister said once the fresh syllabus was prepared, its copies would be circulated to representatives of all the streams for comments. This would be debated at panchayat and district levels before finalization.
In a transparent manner, decisions would be taken on the syllabus and text books. As announced by the government, apart from Tamil, steps would be taken to continue with the present practice of permitting other languages as a medium of instruction.
Minority language intellectuals
Despite clarification from the chief minister, intellectuals of minority languages in the state have expressed their concerns.
P.K. Shabbir Ahmed of Organisation of Muslim Educational Institutions and Association of Tamil Nadu (OMIET): “There is a slow poisoning in the Tamil Nadu Educational System to negate the minority languages such as Urdu, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada. The Tamil Nadu was well crafty in introducing in the two-language formula 1.Tamil and 2.English as examination languages and 3.Subjects such as Mathematics and Sciences. The Act known as “Tamil Nadu Tamil Learning Act 2006” has been in practice with Tamil and English as compulsory languages and minority languages such as Urdu, Arabic, Persian, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada will be totally extinct in the year 2015.
P.K.Shabbir Ahmed (OMIET)
Balakrishnan M.A.,M.Ed
When TCN asked him about the fate of Oriental Arabic and Oriental Sanskrit Schools, Ahmed said: After 2015 the school name boards will be there as Oriental Arabic and Oriental Sanskrit Schools but there will be no Arabic and Sanskrit languages taught. How can you expect these languages to exist, since there will be only two languages compulsory for examination namely Tamil and English? Presenting the government order to this correspondent he asks if there was any provision for the languages he was asking for.
P.K. Shabbir further lamented that there are three papers in Oriental language system in which the Seerathun Nabi and Islamic related subjects are being taught. After 2010 there will be no such thing and students will be taught about Kamba Ramayan and Periyar’s concepts etc.
On the way out, he said: the school managements should be sensitive in such issues. All should gather to have a peaceful protest against the new policy.
Prof. P. Nisar Ahmed, Head of the Department of Urdu, Persian and Arabic, University of Madras, Chennai and Prof. Sajjad Hussain, Chairman, Urdu Language Committee:
“There is peril to Urdu and other minority languages if Tamil Nadu government is keen on introducing two-language formula of Tamil and English.
Dr.Prof.P.Nisar Ahmed
Prof.Dr.Sajjad Hussain
Since you are the brain and nerve system for the government as far as Urdu language is concerned and if you are given to understanding that Tamil Nadu Government introduces two-language formulae, are you at fix?
The two professors said: Government has conducted several seminars and we have attended them. They asked us our opinion and we have presented our papers to them.
The clarification given by Chief Minister Karunanidhi is totally contradictory to the expert opinion of others that after 2015 there will be no oriental languages taught in the Tamil Nadu curriculum.
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dravidian plan to replace tamil with telug and hindi in TN
You are right my friend, Telugu language will be back in Chennapatnam ( Madras) in a while. It may take time, but we take back Chennapatanm. Tamil will be relegated to secondary status. Eversince Madras was stolen from Andhras, who ruled TN and all south from 1300 AD onwards, Andhras have never forgotten nor forgiven Tamils for that act. Yeah the selfserving pimping C Rajagopalachari could have got some satisfaction for denying Madras to Telugus, but look how we struck back! AS you said, the entire dravidian movement has been financed, led by Telugus and Periyar was not a Kannadiga. He was a Telugu spealking Balija from Karnataka. The dravidian movement by the time is done will reduce tamil to a minority status in TN It may take another 2 or 3 decades, but eventually will happen. more later my friend.
Tamil
I don't think that any Tamilnadu government would attempt to remove any language other than Tamil from the being learnt or practiced in Tamilnadu. Tamils are not xenophobic. Of course, like any other champions of first language they would give greater role to Tamil, and this is well understood, accepted and appreciated. Minority language users need not be anxious.
i am really surprised of the
i am really surprised of the argument stated by the author. only thing i found, it is totally a bias argument.
it is really unfortunate that
it is really unfortunate that we indians tend to fight for language, caste, religion. There are number of languages and tamil, hindi are two of them. the main reason of hindi being official language is that it has the largest number of speaker.It is not because that one is superior to another...how can tamil, one of the oldest language with rich heritage can be compared with hindi... it is really unfortunate that people of non hindi belt take pride in considering english, a foreign language, as a national language ignoring their own nation's main language, is this the nationalism...if yes then i really pity for india and her sons and daughters. And i find no difference in linguistic and religious fundamentalism.
The Language policy is correct
In Tamil Nadu "SAMACHEER KALVI is correct, because lot of other language people come to Tamil Nadu, and they establish there own language and there trend, so in our state itself Tamil people are becoming minorities, if Tamil people go to other state we are dominated by them, and also Tamil people loss there jobs in Tamil Nadu, because of other state people migrating to our state, why Tamilian needs to go to other state or other country as there is an enough infra structure in our state, so Tamil & English language is must because English is an international language, by that we have job openings, so "SAMACHEER KALVI is correct in Tamil Nadu.
need for list of oriental arabic schools in tamil nadu
assalamu allikum
please send list of oriental arabic schools in tamil nadu
give me the details urgently
ameerali
kanya kumari
tamil nadu
I was shocked to hear in
I was shocked to hear in Indian express report that Muslims in Tamil Nadu do not consider Tamil as their language. No one question the religion, but why is prayer in Tamil and learning in Tamil being discourage in favour of Urdu or Arabic? There are many Islamic works in Tamil, but why Tamil language is being shunned by some section of Muslims in favour of Urdu. It is disadvantage for Muslim to be isolated from rest of the state by moving away from Tamil. Even Chinese, Malaym, Indonesian Muslims study in their respective languages. Even Quran never mentions Arabic or Urdu to be compulsory languages, but in Tamil Nadu why is Tamil being discouraged amoung Muslims?
Mr. Babu, it is not to
Mr. Babu, it is not to discourage tamil. Majority of the Muslims in TN are tamil literate. The issue here is the denial of the right to study your mother tongue. Those who are advocating rights for the tamil minorities in sri lanka are taking away the rights of linguistic minorities living in Tamil Nadu. Studying Urdu as the first language in no way will isolate muslims from the rest of the world.
Are you telling Arabic, Urdu
Are you telling Arabic, Urdu and Persian are the mother tongue for Muslim in Tamil Nadu and not Tamil? Then how is that they get reservation status as 'Tamils' in Tamil Nadu?
Indian atheist embraces Islam
RIYADH: A well-known Indian psychotherapist embraced Islam on Thursday.
Dr. Periyadarshan, who has changed his name to Abdullah, told Arab News Friday that Islam is the only religion in the world that follows a book directly revealed from God.
He said that as a student of comparative religions he believes books of other faiths have not been directly revealed to mankind from God. He said the Holy Qur’an is still in the same format and style as it was revealed to the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) from Almighty Allah.
Dr. Abdullah is a visiting professor at the University of California in Los Angeles.
He also acted in the famous Tamil film “Karuthamma” about the killing of newborn baby girls in some remote villages in India. The production received national award from the Indian government.
“I was well known in India for my atheist theology and later I became to realize that religion is the only way out for human beings both in this world as well as in the hereafter,” he said.
Dr. Abdullah will be performing Umrah on Saturday on his first visit to the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah.
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article29180.ece
"Population: Tamil speaking
"Population: Tamil speaking 50%"
Really? Can you please tell where from you got such a data? More than 85% people speak Tamil as their first language(2001 census). After Tamil, Telugu is the most widely spoken Indian language in TN. Then comes Malayalam and then Kannada, Saurashtra, Hindi, Urdu etc. The majority of Muslims in TN speak Tamil(73% according to 2001 census). Only 27% of Tamil Muslims speak Urdu. Is Urdu the national language of Muslims? There are many Islamic works in Tamil and Tamil Muslims have contributed much to Tamil literature. Even a person as great as Dr.Abdul Kalam is a Tamil Muslim (not Urdu speaker). It is disgusting to see one language being projected as the language of a religion. You have to remember that we Tamils never accepted the hegemony of Sanskrit in the Hindu religion too. I think you mistook Joseph Stalin's ghost for M.K.Stalin.
May they speak 1%
Your listing shows how much you care about truth. I came accross three Muslims from Tamil Nadu, from as far as Madurai, all the three spoke Urdu and same was not true of Bengali Muslims. What I want to prove is that the local Muslims have been muzzled while you list Saurashri as numerous that Urdu. Tamil Nadu is the only state where Vaniam Bari is a Urdu speaking town and this is true for many locations. Why to question Muslims whether Urdu is their national language. Update your knowledge, Urdu is one of the many national languages India has while Hindi is not the 'National Language' as claimed by people speaking Rajastani or Pahari or Punjabi. So, being pan-Indian, Urdu is the real national language and Islamophobia cannot bar it from its status. In fact, Urdu is the lingua franca of India, if communalism is not invoked.
I did not say Saurashtra is
I did not say Saurashtra is numerous than Urdu and the languages were not listed in order. If that was the case I would not have listed Hindi before Urdu. I did say Telugu is spoken most after Tamil and then Malayalam. I know Hindi is not the national language of India. Indian constitution defines no national language. Hindi and English are official languages while languages like Tamil, Urdu are official languages of States (not Union) and scheduled languages. You are speaking just like north Indian Hindi advocates who say Hindi is the lingua franca of India. We the people of TN will accept neither Urdu nor Hindi as lingua franca of India. For us both are the same and foreign. I only wanted to point out how much you deflect truth to promote the case for Urdu education in TN. You have the right to demand Urdu education but do it without deflecting the truth which is available at the click of button through the Indian population statistics. You may have spoken to Urdu Muslims from Tamil nadu but that does not mean they are the majority among Tamil nadu Muslims. I have even given the source from which I got the numbers. Anybody is free to check.
Urdu is just another language to Tamil Muslims
What the TN government proposes is to spend the amounts taxed away from the public and allotted for education most effectively. It is not out of love but of necessity that English will be taught. It realizes that Tamil alone cannot effectively bring prosperity. Different languages are dear to different people, particularly one’s mother tongue; but the state does not have resources to fund learning of every language.
It must be remembered that Tamils – including Tamil Muslims – were prepared to secede from the Indian Union when New Delhi tried to abet cow-belt fanatics like Seth Govind Das, RM Lohia or Lal Bahadur to impose Hindi on them. Hindi is still seen as a proxy of Sanskrit; high-bred ruling classes have exploited their mastery of this high-flown language to lord over the masses since generations. That is the reason why Hindi-speakers find even Central government employees in TN unfriendly to them.
Nobody prevents anyone from gaining mastery in Sanskrit, Gujarati or Bengali or French or Chinese, etc for sentimental or commercial purposes. But, they cannot expect public resources to pursue their passion. If a language would become extinct in TN just because "the state will not allow it in public examination after 2015", well, so be it. This sure will not be case with Urdu or Arabic.
Currently, I can't think of any Tamil Muslim who wants to use Urdu IN PLACE OF Tamil. Also, he/she will prefer only English as the second language, aware that Tamil is unlikely to become an international language in any foreseeable future. Injecting a Muslim colour to propagate Urdu will only make most Tamil Muslims to shun that language. There are numerous Tamil philanthropists in TN and elsewhere (Malaysia, UK, Gulf, etc) who would be delighted to develop that language, if only help get literary treasures in that language to the Tamil fraternity. The State will definitely not hinder them.
Urdu is just another language to Tamil Muslims
Just two points. It is said that the public resources can not be spent on promotion or teaching of languages other than Tamil. Why so? Do the persons whose mother tongue is not Tamil not pay taxes to the State Government. If they are requesting for money to be spent on education in their language, it is their money which will be spent. Why should their tax proceeds be spent on promotion of Tamil at the cost of their language.
Second point is the attitude of the writer. He says "The State shall not hinder them (in getting literary treasures to the Tamil fraternity) Here also he wants them to spend their money to enrich the Tamil language. He permits them but as free citizens and having rights the same as any Tamil language speaker, do they not the right to use their language. This big brother attitude is entirely uncalled for. The linguistics minorities do not exist because majority language speakers permit them to do so. they do it as the honourable citizens of the state enriching its economy and its culture as much as the speakers of majority language.
The basic tenet of democracy is equality of status and of opportunity. The attitude which guides the Tamil people to resist domination of Hindi should also be practised towards the linguistic minorities. Else admit that "If a language would become extinct in TN just because "the state will not allow it in public examination after 2015", well, so be it." Just substitute India for TN and the language which would suffer be considered as "Tamil".
Due to shameless demand for Hindi, others got lost
There is no Hindi speaker as localite and this is the very reason Urdu et al are also facing the opposition. There are people who claim that Hindi needed to be taught in Bombay because it is guranteed under the constitution. So holds true for other languages but the ground reality is that even Urdu is not allowed to be taught in UP, Bihar or Rajstastan. In case of J & K, despite being stat language, it is shunned in Jammun region. This is possible because the dispensation in the state takes order from Delhi even for registering an FIR. So, conveniently the communalists of Jammun region use either Dogri or English. Try dialing a cell number to J & K, you get to listen to Dogri or Hindi or Ladhakhi. While sub-regionalism is promoted at the cost of mainstream, the same commualists invoke fake nationlism in the name of Hindi. Hindi is not the national language. India do better to declare English as the national lanaguage and the gregorian calendar as the national one. Hindi in devanagri or seka calendar are promoting communalism by the north Indian communities. When will I get to teach my kids Urdu and Tamil in UP or Haryana? never?
Was amazed at INDIAN Railway employee replying in Tamil
When I visited Madras in early 80's, I was amazed to note an INDIAN RAILWAY (Central Government) EMPLOYEE, "proudly" replying in Tamil language, to my question, and reservation form filled in English.
In the beginning, he pretended to give me hard time, saying that he didn't knew English. I questioned him back asking to show Tamil Language on Reservation Form. At this he quickly retracted, and started speaking in English.
Looking at his sudden change, I started speaking in Hindi language, at which he got puzzled, and immediately obliged my request.
I felt at that time, and reading this article now; regionalism is part of South Indian Tamils; which may lead to ignoring secularism - a vital part for keeping India UNITED.
Otherwise it will become like Balasaheb Thackarey's - Me Mumbai for Mumbaikars, and Marathi language speakers; and Gujarat for Keim Cho, Majama-Cho to Naari-Hatyakari Modi.
An Indian
Mr. "An Indian", Clearly you
Mr. "An Indian",
Clearly you are misguided. Central Govt employees need not speak Hindi, they can speak English. That is why All India Radio is All India Radio in Tamil Nadu and not Akashawani.
One trend that I've picked up is that whenever some Northie speaks to me in Hindi, then I obligingly respond back in Tamil to him and you got to see the puzzled face. Oh, I love it.
If you think so much as "An Indian", then have you ever wondered why people in South India love English more than Hindi. Because no body imposes not is forced to learn.
Valzga Tamil, Valarghza Tamil!
Kumar
I Protest
An Indian,
I protest you using terms like Hindi (do you really speak that language or Urdu is just poetry and others Hindi), writing Balasaheb for Bal, Mumbai for Bombay, Keim Cho, Majama (mazamaa??).
Do not pass the approximations done by lethargic people by mutilating original things. It is surprising that people down south though hate thing called Hindi, but when it comes to Urdu as spoken in south India, the 'Dakni', they call it Hindi. There are fools who claim that there is something called 'Hyderabaadi Hindi'. How long are people going to live on the crums thrown by Muslims and Urdu just by mutilating them with terms they think are theirs. Try doing it to English or even Spanish and Portugese. Here, they work hard to determine whether the Spanish is Spanish or Cuban or the Portugese is from Portugal or Brazil. How many French speakers are there in Pondicherry to have French as a medium of broadcase?? There are more than 20% claimant and more than 50% nonclaimant of Urdu in Maharashtra or India. How many radio broadcast in Urdu?? We serve better to the Paksitanis with Urdu programme. May be we value them more!!
You may protest - that's your right
Mr. M. Naqqaad - you may protest, that's your right. Many people on this platform have also protested against the meaning of YOUR NAME, and YOUR COMMENTS. I don't wish to care about those.
I read your response, lately - hence this belated posting.
But what's your protest, I could hardly understand from your posting of Feb. 27 2010 - 8:11 am.
Yes, I know - we speak "Urdu" and label it "Hindi"; just like in U.S.A. - they call it "football" and play with HAND. They call it "free-gift", and when a claimant claims, they ask TO GO to NORTH-POLE or SOUTH-POLE to claim the gift. I call all such things - "naivity".
Mumbai is only on paper, to please Balasaheb Thackeray. In international terms, it is "to-date" referred to as BOMBAY.
They call it "Sri Lanka", but it is "to-date" referred to or better known as Ceylon.
The latest buzz is to "rename" Hyderabad as "Bhagyanagar" or "Cyberabad". Do you think, renaming a city, can erase it's history, or will add a feather in the cap of initiator or renamer???
I was once in Swiss airport, and Switzerland has four officially accepted languages, being surrounded by four countries (check the map). When I spoke in English, they replied in French. When I questioned, they say: if you are here you must know French language. I was amazed, that the lady at the airport counter knew English - but preferred to use French language. That's regionalism - and it is good, to a degree. In my opinion it maybe "useful" as well as "harmful".
Now, speaking in "Urdu" and labeling it "Hindi", has become the norm - whether in NORTH or SOUTH India. So, refrain from protesting against an individual, or his / her opinion, in future. I also feel, you have a habit of poking on anyone's comment - whether you KNOW the subject OR not.
I would question, as you are writing in English language - proudly supporting "Urdu". Give me names of universities in India, which use "Urdu" as medium of instruction - I mean with "written" script ???
Give me the names of professional courses (I mean - medicine, engineering, law, etc.) taught in "Urdu" language, in India.
Give me names of "Urdu" language newspapers, and their circulation AND compare that to "Urdu" language speaking - regardless of religious affiliation.
Wake up Mr. Naqqaad, and tell me what you (as person) has done for promoting "Urdu" language, on your individual, group, organization level !!! At that time, I will accept your "protest". Thank you.
An Indian
P.S.:
------
Lastly, FYI (for your information) check a Railway Reservation Form, which language(s) are written !!! Make and attempt to travel from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, and Cheerapunji (Assam) to Rann-of-Kutch in Gujarat and verify if "Urdu" is printed on Railway Reservation Form.
All the evidence I see from
All the evidence I see from the announcements is that Tamizh ia going to be made compulsory in the state controlled education boards. Where is the evidence to say that there will be a ban on other languages being taught? Do you know of any other countries that would not require that children NOT study the language of their country? If one were to go to Japan one would have to learn Japanese, German in Germany, French in France, Spanish in Spain, Italian in Italy and Russian in Russia, Hindi in UP, Bihar etc, let alone Engish in the US, UK, Australia, Canada. So why would requiring all students in Tamil Nadu to learn Tamizh have any objections? In addition, if minority linguistic educational institutions want to teach other languages like Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi/Urdu, Samaskritam, Arabi, why would the TN government onject as long as Tamizh is taught. This article is unnecessarily playing into minority lingusitic people's fears!
TAMILNADU GOVERNMENT'S LATEST G.O. ON SCHOOL SYLLABUS
WE,MEMBERS OF THE URDU SPEAKING LINGUISTIC MINORITY IN TAMILNADU, ARE AS MUCH 'TAMIZHAN' AS YOU Mr. TAMIZHAN AND WE TOO LOVE TO LEARN TAMIL -BUT CERTAINLY NOT AT THE COST OF OUR DEAR MOTHER TONGUE. YOU HAVE MISUNDERSTOOD OUR REPRESENTATION. WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR ANY CONCESSION OR ANY PREVILGE. ALL THAT WE ARE ASKING IS- TO STSTE IN SHAKESPEAREAN LANGUAGE - 'RENDER UNTO WHAT BELONGTH TO CEASER"
IF YOU SO DESIRE I SHALL GIVE A SUMMARY OF OUR PLEA TO THE GOVT.
S.M.PASHA
PRESIDENT,
TAMILNADU BACKWARD DEKKANI MUSLIMS ASSOCIATION (Regd)
CHENNAI
Pasha Saar, Please do give
Pasha Saar,
Please do give a summary of your plea. Who is asking you not to learn Urudu? From the article, I understand that Tamizh will be required for all in the educational boards under the TN government control. Does the government order require that Urudu not be taught? So let me know where is the gap in our understanding.
OUR MEMORANDUM TO THE HON'BLE C.M. OF TAMILNADU
I HOPE YOU WOULD HAVE READ OUR MEMORANDUM TO THE C.M. OF TAMILNADU. WHAT'S YOUR REACTION Mr. TAMIZHAN?
S.M.PASHA
Pasha Saar, Your request
Pasha Saar,
Your request seems reasonable except for the statement, 'Students who opt to take TAMIL under Parts I and II may be EXEMPTED from that Exam', which would make it a 'naam ke waasthey' teaching of Tamil in school. I think they should take Tamil exams as well as exams in the third language that they take namely Urudhu, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannadam, Hindi and so forth.
OUR MEMORANDUM TO THE HON'BLE C.M. OF TAMILNADU
DEAR BROTHER TAMIZHAN,
THANK YOU FOR REPLY. WE ARE SUBMITTING TOMORROW MORNING (Monday the 1st of March)INSHA ALLAH. AS SOON AS IT IS DONE, I SHALL EMAIL TO YOU A COPY THRO' THESE COLUMNS.
S.M.PASHA
OUR MEMORANDUM TO THE HON'BLE C.M. OF TAMILNADU
WE HAVE SUBMITTED, AS SCHEDULED, BY ALLAH'S GRACE, A MEMORANDUM TO THE HON'BLE C.M. OF TAMILNADU ON ITS 'TWO LANGUAGE POLICY' AND HAVE RELEASED IT TO THE MEDIA INCLUDING THE TCN. HOPE TCN WILL GIVE IT DUE PUBLICITY, WAIT TILL TOMORROW, IF TCN DOES NOT PUBLISH IT, I SHALL GIVE YOU A GIST OF THE MEMORANDUM IN THIS COLUMN TOMORROW INSHA ALLAH
S.M.PASHA
OUR MEMORANDUM TO THE HON'BLE C.M. OF TAMILNADU
Dear friend,
The time has come to redeem my promise. Here is the verbatum copy of our Memorandum
" Mohthram-o-Mukarram Izzath Ma'ab Dr. Mu. Karunanidhi saheb,
"Thum salamath rahoa hazaar baras, har baras kay hoan din pachaas hazaar" - meaning: " May you live for a thousand years and may every year consist of fifty thousand days."
This Association, at the outset, makes it abundantly clear that it is NOT against the Government taking any step to promote Tamil language through all possible and available lawful means and that the Association is willing to lend a helping hand in that laudable work. But, at the same time, it hastens to point out that the G.O. dated 1st Feb. 2010 pertaing to the syllabus from Standards V to X in Schools in the State has hurt the sentiments of URDU lovers inasmuch as it has trampled upon their legitimate rights as members of a linguistic monoritry. Making the study of the Mother tongue of a child OPTIONAL is tatamount to slow-poisoning and ultimate death. What has been said about URDU applies with equal force to other languages like TELUGU, KANNADA, MALAYALAM, HINDI, GUJRATHI etc.,
The Association respectfully submits that the above-mentioned G.O. is a gross violation of the solemn assurance given to members of the linguistic minorities that, not only their lives, properties and honour will be well-protected by the D.M.K. Government but their Mother tongue will also be, not only well-protected but also well-encouraged to develop in the State. Alas ! the G.O. is an unambigious DEATH-KNELL to the development of the Mother tongue of a child belonging to the linguistic minority in the State. The Association, therefore, appeals to you to withdraw the said G.O. and maintain the status quo until such time as the members of the linguistic minorities themselves opt for it.
Before we conclude, we, respectfully, submit for your kind consideration this alternative viz., TAMIL should be made a COMPULSORY subject in Schools where it is not being taught under Part I and the results of students in such Schools should be declared as PASSES and eligible for further studies ONLY IF THE STUDENT OBTAINS AT LEAST 40% MARKS IN TAMIL. Students who opt to take TAMIL under Parts I and II may be EXEMPTED from that Exam. Such an arrangement will be a boon to those who opt to take Telugu, Malayalam Kannada, Urdu, Arabic, Hindi, Gujrathi, etc., under Part I. Such an scheme will simultaneously PRESRVE the languages ofv the linguistic minorities in the State and POPULARIZE Tamil language amongst them and it will NOT, in our view, interfere with or encroach upon the revered TWO-LANGUAGE FORMULA to which the State is wedded.
We conclude this appeal stating that if the D.M.K. Government pays heed to our plea, it will gladden the hearts of the linguistic minorities and at the same time inspire them to strngthen your esteemed Party-in-Power,
We solicit your favourable response at your earliest convenience and thank you in anticipation,
Chennai Yours truly,
ist March 2010 for & on behalf of the Association;
S.M.PASHA President
Dr. SYED MUHHAMAD IBRAHIM, Vice-President
Dr. ZAHEER AAFAAQ Vice-President
Mohd. KHALIFATHULLAH SHERIFF, Secretary
SHAHIFULLAH BAIG, Treasurer
THE BALL IS IN YOUR COURT MY FRIEND. READ THEC MEMORANDUM CAREFULLY AND DISPASSIONATELY AND HELP US IN WHATEVER MANNER YOU CAN TO SOLVE OUR PROBLEM
S.M.PASHA
The "Dravidian" Plan to Replace Tamil with Telugu & Hindi in TN
Contrary to TwoCircles.net, the so-called parties does not any concern for the Tamil language. The bitter and absolute truth is majority of these "Dravidians" are not Tamils - they are Telugus settled in Tamil Nadu. The other bitter truth is that Periyar was also not a Tamil, he was a Kannadiga. Periyar famous tirade against the Tamil language was that it was a language spoken only by unruly and had too many twists and turns. He only condemned the Tamil language. The so-called anti-Brahmin movement in Tamil Nadu is actually an anti-Tamil movement and pro-Telugu and Pro-Hindi (a.k.a. Urdu) movements. A large benificiary of Tamil Nadu's reservation policy are Kannada, Hindi and Telugu speakers.
You may have brought out this Samacheer Kalvi in your news. The reality is that it is another drama. DMK and Karunanidhi's plan is the eventual elimination of the Tamil language out of Tamil Nadu. The means of doing is to force state board schools to close (in the name of Tamil) and open more and more CBSE schools. Everyone knows that most CBSE schools do NOT teach Tamil as a compulsory subject and instead have Hindi as a compulsory subject. Also in the news in closure of Tamil medium schools and CBSE inaugurations attended by Karunanidhi and Thennarasu.
Thennarasu has also made it clear that Tamil Nadu will not interfere in CBSE schools - meaning that their Hindi imposition and excess fees would continue and Tamil Nadu's laws have no meaning to them.
Also the ground reality is the lakhs of ration cards given to Bihari, UP and other migrants which would have otherwise required documents. It is just a question of time that these would come under reservation. Everyone - except Tamil language speaking Brahmins and poor amoung Chettiars and other communities.
To summarize, Tamil Nadu would soon turn into a Telugu and Hindi speaking state by the Telugu politician's dramas "in the name of Tamil".
THE LANGUAGE POLICY OF THE DMK GOVT.
KUDOS TO YOUR STAFF REPORTER FOR HIS SCINTILATTING AND ACCURATE ANALYSIS OF THE "SAMACHEER KALVI " - SO-CALLED EQUITABLE SYSTEM OF EDUCATION". HE HAS CONTACTED THE RIGHT PERSONS AT THE RIGHT MOMENT. THE ASSOCIATION WITH WHICH I AM CONCERNED VIZ., THE TAMILNADU BACKWARD DEKKANI MUSLIM ASSOCIATION, WILL SHORTLY, INSHA ALLAH, PRESENT TO THE HON'BLE CHIEF MINISTER OF TAMILNADU A MEMORANDUM ON THIS SUBJECT. AS CORRECTLY ASSESSED BY THE TCN, THE G.O. DATED 1-2-2010 REGARDING THE SYLLABUS FROM STANDARD V TO X IN SCHOOLS, WHICH MAKES THE STUDY OF THE MOTHER TONGUE OF A CHILD BELONGING TO THE LINGUISTIC MINORITY OPTIONAL, WILL, WITHOUT AN IOTA OF DOUBT, SOUND THE DEATH KNELL OF THAT LANGUAGE AND ALONG WITH IT ITS LITERATURE AND CULTURE.
WILL THE TCN PLEASE INSTRUCT ITS STAFF TO CONTUNUE ITS INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING ON THE SUBJECT WHICH WILL SURELY SNOWBALL INTO A MAJOR LINGUISTIC AGITATION.
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