LANGUAGE
LABOUR
N.Nandhivarman
Pondicherry University, a
Central University established the Department of Tamil in 1986, and later
upgraded to a School of Tamil. Yes, thus came the Subramania Bharathi School of
Tamil Language and Literature. “This school had produced 60 scholars who have
done their PhD’s and 28 are currently striving to become Doctors of Literature.
181 scholars obtained M.Phil degrees and currently 34 are studying. The
research culminates in presentation of scholarly thesis” states Dean of the
School Dr. A.Arivunambi. Dr.Arivunambi also functions as Acting Vice Chancellor
during the absence of the regular Vice Chancellor. As the leading beacon of
Tamil Development he states with pride that Pondicherry University is the first
and only one to have got grants for 5 years under Special Assistance Scheme
from the University Grants Commission. This recent achievement gives impetus to
draw plans for the development of Classical Tamil.
“If you want to know about the Tamil computing researchers, www.
tamilsoftware.biz lists out only 2 people from the Union territory of
Pondicherry. They are Professor Kuppusamy, who heads the Computer Sciences
Department of Pondicherry University and Prasanna Venkatesan, Lecturer of same
faculty. At one faculty two researchers exist to give impetus for promoting
Tamil in the world of web, and the other side we have a Tamil Department which
had yet to avail this talent within the campus to equip Tamil scholars and
students with adequate knowledge to handle computers and to elevate Tamil to
the reach of netizens.” opined a Tamil scholar with anguish. There seems to be
fresh plans for inter departmental coordination after such criticisms were
aired in scholarly circles.
The western experiments to open knowledge to one and all by creating
Open Access Online Libraries, from where all scholarly research papers could be
availed by anyone interested from any part of the globe is slowly spreading its
influence over Tamil scholars. Tamil lovers of Pondicherry are keen to know the
subjects of the research undertaken by various scholars in the Pondichery
University. “The practice to upload all research materials into Internet is a
must and web publishing must be given top priority so that what a researcher in
Pondicherry University does becomes known to other researchers all over the
world,” said C.P.Thirunavukkarasu, President of Anna Foundation. Though members
of the faculty have brought out many books and students too have many books and
articles to their credit, in these days of globalization, they have to market
their achievements, publicize them and bring it to public notice.
A report of the expert committee
headed by Va.Suba.Maniccam Former Vice Chancellor of Madurai Kamaraj University
had in the initial years suggested for creation of separate faculties for Tamil
Studies, Linguistic Studies, Fine Arts and Overseas studies. It had mooted the
suggestion that under the faculty of Tamil Studies departments of Tamil
Literature, Cultural studies, Religious and Mythological Studies, Comparative
literature and Indian folklore could be set up. The committee also had
suggested separate department for Bharathiar and Bharathidasan Studies.
The Faculty of Linguistic Studies with separate departments of Indian
Grammatical Studies, Linguistics, Translation, Dialectology and Tribal
languages and The Faculty of Fine Arts with Department of Music, dance, Drama
and Painting must have been set up, if the recommendations of the expert
committee had been taken into consideration. Much time is lost and because
these faculties and departments were not created in spite of the First Central
university being started in a Tamil language speaking region.
Dr.R.Kothandaraman of Tholkaapiyar Centre for Fundamental Research says
that “sixteen years had passed and lots of opportunities are lost. There is a
need to review the expert committee’s suggestions and to have an update on its
recommendations so that fresh initiatives to develop Tamil studies could be
explored”. Incidentally he was one of the members of that Expert committee. Due
to non allocation of funds where our representatives failed, all such new
departments could not come up till 2007, the time when next five year plan
launches. As a prelude for opening Departments of Modern Literature and
Religious Literature, two new M.Phil courses have started, thanks to the
initiatives of Dr.Ilamathi Janakiraman.
This unique Central University must be made into a global meeting place
for promoting Tamil as an international language with state-of-the-art
technology to connect to the global Tamil community via the Information Highway
feel the foreign scholars doing research in Tamil.
“To help Tamil communities living
abroad to establish a digital network for promoting the study of Tamil language
and literature, to establish a grid of learning so that Tamil communities
worldwide may exchange Web-based resources, to develop and promote Tamil in
electronic form to enable Tamil learners to experience the glory of Tamil
language and culture, to promote a sense of Tamil identity both in nations
having large Tamil populations and all former French colonies with which still
sizeable Pondicherrians are culturally and professionally interlinked,
Pondicherry University had lot to do” opines Mannar Mannan, President of
Puthuvai Tamil Sangam.
“These former French colonies have large population of Tamils who are on
the verge of forgetting their mother tongues. Hence online courses to impart
Tamil learning to geographically separate Tamil communities becomes the
historical mission of Pondicherry University and it is time it reaches out to
those who need its help” said Professor M.Lenin Thangappa.
But all scholars are hoping that
Subramania Bharathiar School of Tamil studies will surge ahead and scale great
heights in glory, since the very name of the school will be a source of
inspiration for all knowledgeable Tamils to pool their goodwill to make this
School known internationally.
Courtesy: New Indian Express-weekend: 7.05 2005
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