“Promoting Tamil is not only the responsibility of the Tamil department; it is the collective responsibility of the entire society,” Legislative Assembly Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar emphasized at the grand event held in Chennai.
The grand event, organized by the U.V. Swaminatha Iyer Library in Chennai, was held on Tuesday at the VIT University campus in Kelambakkam, Chennai, under the chairmanship of its Chancellor and the president of the U.Ve.Sa. Library, G. Viswanathan. At the event, the library’s vice president, Sivalayam J. Mohan, delivered the welcome address.
At this event, the special guest, Assembly Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar, participated and presented the Mahavithuvan Sri Meenakshisundaram Pillai Award to Pulavar V. Pathumanar and the Dr. U.V. Swaminatha Iyer Award to Professor A. R. Venkatachalapathy. Subsequently, Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar released the book ‘Nannool Moolamum Mayilainatharuraiyum,’ and VIT Vice-Chairman G.V. Selvam received the first copy.
Speaking at the event, J.C.D. Prabhakar said: Honoring a Tamil scholar is not merely honoring an individual; it is honoring the Tamil tradition he has preserved.
Poet Ve. Padumanar is someone who has devoted his life as a teacher and researcher, carrying Tamil forward to the next generation with mastery of grammar and literature. Just as U.Ve.Sa. searched for and published Tamil manuscripts, Professor A. Ira. Venkatachalapathy has meticulously researched modern Tamil history, documents, and publishing history, bringing Tamil unique recognition on the world stage. It would not be an exaggeration to say that awarding these two in the names of Mahavidwan Sri Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai and U.Ve.Sa. at the same ceremony beautifully places before our eyes a continuity of guru-disciple knowledge.
Thousands of Tamil associations and literary organizations functioning in Tamil Nadu should be brought together to carry out work for the development of Tamil. The initiative for this should be taken by VIT Chancellor G. Viswanathan.
Additional efforts should be made to encourage students to learn Tamil with enthusiasm and to preserve rare Tamil books and pass them on to the next generation. My interest in the Tamil language was born during my student days, in the period of the anti-Hindi agitation. During that time, I wrote poems in Tamil against Hindi.
Developing Tamil is not the responsibility of the Tamil department alone. Only when government institutions, educational institutions, universities, research centers, libraries, publishers, Tamil scholars, teachers, and students all work together will Tamil fully reach the next generation.
Protecting Tamil literature and grammar should not be the task of scholars alone. It is the responsibility of society as a whole. A period of revival for the Tamil language has now emerged. He said that it should be used for the growth of the Tamil language. Award-winning scholar Ve. Padmunar and Professor A. Ira. Vengadasalapathy delivered the acceptance speeches.
Earlier, former head of the Tamil Department at the University of Madras, Professor Y. Manikandan, and founder of Porunai Pages, S. Aavudaiappan, delivered felicitations. U.Ve.Sa. Library treasurer N. Aavudaiappan and Dr. Rama. Gurunathan gave the special addresses. Library secretary Dr. T. Sathiyamoorthy delivered the vote of thanks.
At this event, V.G. Santhosam, chairman of the VGP World Tamil Sangam, U.Ve.Sa. Library patron Dr. P. Suyambu, Tamil scholars, and professors participated in large numbers.
There should be no confrontational attitude among political parties: G. Viswanathan
Speaking at the grand celebration, G. Viswanathan, chairman of the U.Ve.Sa. Library and chancellor of VIT University, said: Political parties should not always remain in a confrontational mode; when cooperation is needed on important issues concerning the public, all parties should come together and work jointly.
For this, we should follow the unity seen among political parties in the Nordic countries of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, and Finland, and strive for the country’s development. No matter how many differences there are, when cooperation is needed, the ruling party and the opposition parties should work together.
Such a political climate should emerge again in Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu should serve as a model for India,” he said.
VIT Vice President G.V. Selvam: “Tamil communities living in Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius, the United States, and several African countries continue to maintain their connection with the Tamil language. They consider speaking Tamil a matter of pride. In Tamil Nadu, although everyone knows Tamil, some are even hesitant to speak in Tamil.
The Tamil language is our identity. We should speak it with pride. Among today’s generation, the habit of reading is declining, and the ability to concentrate is also decreasing.
Therefore, Tamil scholars, historians, and professors should make greater use of digital platforms like YouTube to bring the Tamil language and its history to the younger generation,” he said.
