We Tāmilarā are not fanatical!!!!!!

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 20^th 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 20^th 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 20^th 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 20^th 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.