We Tāmilarā are not fanatical!!!!!!
It
is not surprising that Tamils are loved all over the world. In Northern India
especially Tamils are loved for their genial and gregarious nature, wit,
intelligence and more than anything for their law-abiding nature. But,
invariably among people of other communities beyond the borders of Tamil Nadu
if there is one thing people don’t like that is associated with all the Tamils,
it is their love of their language.
Yes,
surprisingly, over past two decades many a native speaker of other languages of
India have told me and on and off written in vernacular languages – these Tamil
chaps take their love and affinity to their mother tongue to the level of
fanaticism.
Last
year in a meeting of the doyens of Indian literature [among them were Jnanpith
award winners and who’s who of Indian literary scene], many of them told me
that while Tamilians are role models in preserving and promoting the mother
tongue, they don’t approve of fanaticism. I am no body in front of those doyens.
So, I quietly listened to them as they went on and on.
Some
people even went to the extent of saying this ‘fanaticism’ of Tamils and Tamil
nationalism of 20th century are sowing disruptive seeds among other
communities and showing definitively a wrong way. Unanimously they all are of
the opinion that Tamil Nationalism and ‘Tamil only’ was the first of its kind
and while there are some positives to be taken away in the approach, the
fanatical element is the impediment to knowing other cultures and ways of living.
How
accurate and correct are these perceptions? I want to give many examples but
limit myself to a case where there are no ambiguities and that which is beyond
dispute.
First
and foremost, in the last 500 years [any period less than that loses value in
the minds of modern ‘intellectuals’ – LOL!], Tamilians were not the first or
alone to reject the influence and usage of Sanskrit and Hindustani languages!
Much
before the advent of early 20th century Tamil nationalism even took
the seed form, there was a cyclone sweeping entire Bengal [entire = including
present day Bangladesh].
Coinciding
with the rise of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, loud whispers began to emerge all over
Bengal as to the usage of Sanskrit and Hindi and the ensuing corruption of the
original Bengali. By 1850s the whispers were turning out to be loud roars. The
turn of events in the next ten years quietened down things a bit. But not for
long and by this time journals (!!!!) have started and people were writing in
pure Bengali.
Furious
debates took the centre stage on the ‘acceptable style’ of Bengali writing and
almost all the periodicals that were in vogue voiced their opinions. Two strong
and warring sides, Sanskritpanthi
(proponents of Sanskrit usage) and Banglapanthi
(proponents of Bengali usage) were at loggerheads.
Raging
debates saw plenty of acrimony and sarcasm spewed on air like never before. At
one point it even threatened to split Bengal into three. Then came along Bankim
Chandra!
He
wrote a superb essay "Bangla Bhasha" in Bangadarshan [1285 Jaishta / May-June, 1883] and dismissed the Sanskritpanthi as Prachinponthi
(backward looking), but did not completely support the Banglapanthi and he pointed out the perils of ‘only Bengali’
thought process.
He
advocated the middle-path, the path aimed at enriching the still evolving
Bengali language by using pure Bengali wherever possible and at the same time
retaining Sanskrit words wherever necessary. The situation demanded that kind
of authority and scholarliness. It is unbelievable that Bengalis, who are one
of the most argumentative in the world, took his word and settled the dispute
once for all. They had run-ins with English, Hindi and Urdu / Persian at
various times in the 20th century but had wonderful guide rule to
settle down in the middle path.
These
events are recorded facts. Given that it is remarkable that even the most well-read
people from all over India hold on to such false assumptions – even Bengalis.
Without
doubt, part of Tamil renaissance in 20th century took casteist
dimensions but that was part of higher anthropic principle in operation at that
over Tamil Nadu. Struggles between various castes and communities will go on,
but when it comes to Tamil Language nationalism, the intentions were not
fanatical.
The
intentions and actions are about resisting what my beloved friend on Twitter
@dagalti wrote
#மதுரமல்லிமதுரமல்லிமதுரமல்லிமதுரமல்லி
*I have selected and edited a fine English translation of Bankim’s “Bangla Bhasha” and it will appear in June or July issue of Indian Literature journal. Those who are interested can buy that and read.