CHENNAI: Dravidian parties, most particularly the DMK’s claim of loving the Tamil language, can be gauged by the importance they attach to that language. Subramania Bharati, a nationalist poet who kindled the freedom fire through his Tamil songs, was totally forgotten and so far has no chair in any university. But there is a chair after the DMK’s former leader M Karunanidhi.
Recently, it has been observed that 85,000 multi-degree graduates failed the PG TET exam by not scoring the minimum pass mark in the Tamil language paper. In Plus Two and Tenth Standard also, thousands of students fail in the Tamil language paper in public examinations.
Governor R N Ravi, who learnt Tamil and quotes extensively from old Tamil texts, has questioned the DMK government’s commitment to promoting the Tamil language. In an interview to a Tamil satellite channel, he alleged that key institutions and initiatives meant to support Tamil studies were being neglected. The Governor questioned, “If they truly loved Tamil, what have they done to promote it?” He pointed out that a large number of students are moving to English-medium schools from Tamil-medium government-run (two-language following) ones.
He cited the state-run Tamil University in Thanjavur — established in 1981 by the then Chief Minister M G Ramachandran to advance the Tamil language and heritage — as an example of what he described as sustained neglect.
The Governor added, “It is in a pathetic condition. Even after 40 years, it doesn’t have 1,000 students.”
Governor Ravi said the university has around 90 sanctioned faculty positions, but nearly half remain vacant. He also claimed that the state government provides “zero research grant”, forcing PhD scholars to rely on central institutions such as the ICSSR for fellowships. Ravi further alleged that over 11 lakh palm-leaf manuscripts in Tamil Nadu were “rotting” due to the absence of preservation funds.
Coming down heavily on the DMK government, which pretends to be the saviour of the Tamil language, Ravi said it “in fact has done nothing towards its development”. He expressed his displeasure by saying, “There is no Subramania Bharati Chair in any of the state’s 20 universities. It is a telling indicator of its priority. The current Chief Minister MK Stalin has established two chairs in his father’s name [Kalaignar Karunanidhi] and two more chairs are coming up.”
Ravi said, “Bharati was the greatest contributor to the Tamil language and Tamil pride in the entire 20th century,” and that no modern figure had matched his influence on Tamil literature, nationalism and social consciousness.
Governor Ravi said, “For years I have been trying to get one established. Vice-Chancellors tell me they are threatened if they try. At the same time, more than 15 academic chairs exist in the names of three Dravidian leaders, including two in the name of former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, and more are on the way.”
Noting PM Modi’s initiatives, Governor Ravi said, “No leader has done as much service for the Tamil language and culture as Prime Minister Modi. He (Modi) is strengthening the Central Institute of Classical Tamil by building a new state-of-the-art campus, taking Tamil to the rest of the country through the introduction of diploma courses in universities such as the ones in Guwahati and Banaras. The latter has a chair in the name of Bharati.”
Critics say, “This debunks the DMK and its allies’ oft-repeated allegations that PM Modi and the BJP are anti-Tamil and against the people of the state.” The Governor made mention of the establishment of Thiruvalluvar chairs in places like Singapore, Malaysia and Boston — and highlighted the restoration of the Sengol in the new Parliament building and the Kashi Tamil Sangamam as examples of initiatives under the Prime Minister.
