Governor Surjit Singh Barnala on Monday, Sep 27 asked delegates to take a pledge to save the Urdu language that was facing difficult times.
Delivering the presidential address at the Tamil Nadu State Urdu Conference 2010, he said “Only with public support, I believe, Urdu will have a rebirth.”
Mr. Barnala recalled his association with the Urdu language and said that whenever he wrote a book, he made it a point to publish an Urdu translation.
He used to think in Urdu and then write it in English.
He released the Urdu translation of Chinna Kuthoosi's Tamil Book ‘Dr. Kalaignar,' comprising articles published in ‘Nakkeeran' and ‘Murasoli', and presented trophies to outstanding Urdu writers, professors and headmasters.
Full report here Hindu
Showing posts with label Tamil Nadu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tamil Nadu. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
TN holds first Kannada Sahitya Parishat sammelan
Saturday marked a red-letter day for Kannada Sahitya Parishat when its president R K Nallur Prasad inaugurated the first ever Kannada Sahitya Sammelan organized by Tamil Nadu unit of the parishat at T Nagar in Chennai. The junior swamiji of Udupi Pejavar mutt, Sri Vishwaprasanna Thirtha, delivered benedictions on this occasion, a press release from Dakshina Kannada unit of the parishat here states.
The honour of chairing this meet went to Srikrishna Bhat Arthikaje, retired head of department of Kannada, Madras University. Bhat originally hails from Puttur in Dakshina Kannada district. Pradeep Kumar Kalkura, president of DK district unit of the Parishat released the sammelan souvenir. A Yakshagana talamaddale -- Sri Rama Darshana -- sponsored by Kalkura Foundation was staged as part of the cultural programmes.
Full report here Times of India
The honour of chairing this meet went to Srikrishna Bhat Arthikaje, retired head of department of Kannada, Madras University. Bhat originally hails from Puttur in Dakshina Kannada district. Pradeep Kumar Kalkura, president of DK district unit of the Parishat released the sammelan souvenir. A Yakshagana talamaddale -- Sri Rama Darshana -- sponsored by Kalkura Foundation was staged as part of the cultural programmes.
Full report here Times of India
Thursday, August 26, 2010
A world of books
Tall wooden shelves lined with old books; green stained glass windows; the quietest of halls and heads buried deep inside a labyrinth of words. Standing tall along Cowley Brown Road, the District Central Library is a whole world in itself.
The building was inaugurated in 1987, and the tranquillity inside is disarming – the moment you step in, the buzz of the city recedes.
The reference section is the first to welcome you. Lined with long wooden tables and shelves it has hundreds of books on subjects such as engineering, technology, history, geography, agriculture, law, sociology, biography, religion, etc.
Walking with eyes full of wonder, I pull out a chunky volume of Bharathidasan Padalgal. The book contains a foreword written in 1993 by V. R. Nedunchezhiyan, the then finance minister of Tamil Nadu. Next to it is an unassuming book with a worn out spine. This little book is a treasure – published in 1988, it's a dictionary for the language of the Siddhas. The ‘Descriptive catalogue of the Tamil manuscripts in the Tanjore Maharaja Sarfoji's Saraswathi Mahal library' by L.Olaganatha Pillay is yet another treasure. With yellowing pages, this book bears the scent of history and culture.
Full report here Hindu
The reference section is the first to welcome you. Lined with long wooden tables and shelves it has hundreds of books on subjects such as engineering, technology, history, geography, agriculture, law, sociology, biography, religion, etc.
Walking with eyes full of wonder, I pull out a chunky volume of Bharathidasan Padalgal. The book contains a foreword written in 1993 by V. R. Nedunchezhiyan, the then finance minister of Tamil Nadu. Next to it is an unassuming book with a worn out spine. This little book is a treasure – published in 1988, it's a dictionary for the language of the Siddhas. The ‘Descriptive catalogue of the Tamil manuscripts in the Tanjore Maharaja Sarfoji's Saraswathi Mahal library' by L.Olaganatha Pillay is yet another treasure. With yellowing pages, this book bears the scent of history and culture.
Full report here Hindu
Friday, August 13, 2010
Sirkazhi Public library to be named after SR Ranganthan
The public library in Sirkazhi in the district would get a new building at a cost of Rs 20 lakh and named after S R Ranganathan, a native of the town who is regarded as Father of library science in India.
Stating this at Librarians' Day celebrations here, District Collector C Munianathan on August 12 said through his innovative research on library science, S R Ranganathan attained world fame and was regarded as the greatest librarian of the 20th century. "He is a pioneer in library movement and is the proponent of the famous 'five laws of library science', he said adding that Ranganathan was a genius mathematician as well.
Ranganathan was born at Ubayavedantam village near Sirkazhi and his birthday is observed as Librarians' Day in all the libraries in the district, he said. Stating that there were 98 public libraries in the district, the Collector said a total of 8.24 lakh people have utilised the library services last year. The 98 libraries have over 12 lakh books, he said.
Full report here IBNLive
Stating this at Librarians' Day celebrations here, District Collector C Munianathan on August 12 said through his innovative research on library science, S R Ranganathan attained world fame and was regarded as the greatest librarian of the 20th century. "He is a pioneer in library movement and is the proponent of the famous 'five laws of library science', he said adding that Ranganathan was a genius mathematician as well.
Ranganathan was born at Ubayavedantam village near Sirkazhi and his birthday is observed as Librarians' Day in all the libraries in the district, he said. Stating that there were 98 public libraries in the district, the Collector said a total of 8.24 lakh people have utilised the library services last year. The 98 libraries have over 12 lakh books, he said.
Full report here IBNLive
Sunday, August 8, 2010
The Missionary's footprints
In search of India’s first printing press in Tranquebar, a former Danish colony and now a quiet town
A January noon in Tranquebar, a town on Tamil Nadu’s Coromandel coast, is pleasant. And we’ve reassured ourselves that gulping in lungfuls of this cool air will do us good, for Tranquebar is one of the world’s most ozone-rich places.
It has other equally unusual attractions that intrigue Srilata and me. K Srilata, novelist and academician, is in Tranquebar—officially Tharangambadi, ‘place of singing waves’—to research a novel. I am here because I’d read that Tranquebar was once a Danish settlement. What were the Danes doing in India? In 1620, having travelled all the way from Denmark to Sri Lanka to establish a colony—and subsequently discovering that Sri Lanka had no more room—the Danes came here. A treaty with the local ruler resulted in the setting up of a fort, which still stands, though the Danes relinquished control of Tranquebar in 1845 to the British.
Here we are, therefore, on the seashore of a town so ridiculously tiny it doesn’t even have an idli stall. We begin by visiting the Dansborg, the 17th century fort built by the Danish naval captain Ove Gjedde in 1620. It’s a pale yellow building and looks more like a large bungalow than a fort. But it’s deliciously colonial, and houses a museum with a modest collection of artefacts—from a whale’s backbone to tiny cannonballs.
Full report here Indian Express
A January noon in Tranquebar, a town on Tamil Nadu’s Coromandel coast, is pleasant. And we’ve reassured ourselves that gulping in lungfuls of this cool air will do us good, for Tranquebar is one of the world’s most ozone-rich places.
It has other equally unusual attractions that intrigue Srilata and me. K Srilata, novelist and academician, is in Tranquebar—officially Tharangambadi, ‘place of singing waves’—to research a novel. I am here because I’d read that Tranquebar was once a Danish settlement. What were the Danes doing in India? In 1620, having travelled all the way from Denmark to Sri Lanka to establish a colony—and subsequently discovering that Sri Lanka had no more room—the Danes came here. A treaty with the local ruler resulted in the setting up of a fort, which still stands, though the Danes relinquished control of Tranquebar in 1845 to the British.
Here we are, therefore, on the seashore of a town so ridiculously tiny it doesn’t even have an idli stall. We begin by visiting the Dansborg, the 17th century fort built by the Danish naval captain Ove Gjedde in 1620. It’s a pale yellow building and looks more like a large bungalow than a fort. But it’s deliciously colonial, and houses a museum with a modest collection of artefacts—from a whale’s backbone to tiny cannonballs.
Full report here Indian Express
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Spanco bags IT contract of Anna Library
Spanco Ltd. has won the IT contract to create IT infrastructure and deploy advanced Library Management Systems at the prestigious "Anna Centenary Library (ACL) of Chennai"
Spanco Ltd. has won the IT contract to create IT infrastructure and deploy advanced Library Management Systems at the prestigious "Anna Centenary Library (ACL) of Chennai". The project aims to implement the most modern technology in Library Management available globally. ACL is one of the landmark projects for the State of Tamil Nadu which is being built with an estimated investment of Rs. 165 Crore. It marks the centenary year of Late C. N. Annadurai. The project is also keenly tracked by the Honorable Chief Minister Shri M. Karunanidhi who is known for his interest and contribution to Tamil literature.
The library is being built on eight acres of land which will have a capacity of 1250 people at a time and a separate auditorium with seating capacity of 1280 people in addition to amphitheatre in terrace. Such a huge infrastructure requires complex technology solution which will encompass integration and networking of the library, book management system, Radio Frequency Identification along with Security and Surveillance. The IT system being built by Spanco will cover more than 1.2 million books, e-journals and e-books on all and sundry subjects housed in eight storied complex at Chennai. The knowledge treasure for book lovers and research scholars will be one of the biggest projects in its domain in India and Spanco is proud to be associated as the end to end technology provider for Library Management and Infrastructure. Spanco devised solution platform that will secure the entire eight storied complex, bring accountability to millions of contents in the knowledge bank, effective utilization of the technology infrastructure and bring efficiency in the management process.
Full report here IndiaPRWire
Spanco Ltd. has won the IT contract to create IT infrastructure and deploy advanced Library Management Systems at the prestigious "Anna Centenary Library (ACL) of Chennai". The project aims to implement the most modern technology in Library Management available globally. ACL is one of the landmark projects for the State of Tamil Nadu which is being built with an estimated investment of Rs. 165 Crore. It marks the centenary year of Late C. N. Annadurai. The project is also keenly tracked by the Honorable Chief Minister Shri M. Karunanidhi who is known for his interest and contribution to Tamil literature.
The library is being built on eight acres of land which will have a capacity of 1250 people at a time and a separate auditorium with seating capacity of 1280 people in addition to amphitheatre in terrace. Such a huge infrastructure requires complex technology solution which will encompass integration and networking of the library, book management system, Radio Frequency Identification along with Security and Surveillance. The IT system being built by Spanco will cover more than 1.2 million books, e-journals and e-books on all and sundry subjects housed in eight storied complex at Chennai. The knowledge treasure for book lovers and research scholars will be one of the biggest projects in its domain in India and Spanco is proud to be associated as the end to end technology provider for Library Management and Infrastructure. Spanco devised solution platform that will secure the entire eight storied complex, bring accountability to millions of contents in the knowledge bank, effective utilization of the technology infrastructure and bring efficiency in the management process.
Full report here IndiaPRWire
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Literature on common ground
Experts came together at the Tamil conference to further the cause of the language.
Let's take a look at the World Classical Tamil Conference that concluded in Coimbatore recently. This was the first such conference. Previous international events were World Tamil Conferences. And this conference was held after the Government of India granted the classical language status to Tamil.
For a World Tamil Conference to be held, the International Association for Tamil Research has to give a call. The first World Tamil Conference was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1966. The second was two years later in Madras (now Chennai).
The third conference was in 1970 in Paris, France; the fourth was in 1974 in Jaffna, Sri Lanka; the fifth was in 1981 in Madurai; the sixth was in 1987 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; the seventh was in 1989 in Port Louis, Mauritius, and the last and eighth was in 1995 in Thanjavur.
Full report here Hindu
For a World Tamil Conference to be held, the International Association for Tamil Research has to give a call. The first World Tamil Conference was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1966. The second was two years later in Madras (now Chennai).
The third conference was in 1970 in Paris, France; the fourth was in 1974 in Jaffna, Sri Lanka; the fifth was in 1981 in Madurai; the sixth was in 1987 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; the seventh was in 1989 in Port Louis, Mauritius, and the last and eighth was in 1995 in Thanjavur.
Full report here Hindu
‘Tamil is bound to change, but its identity remains'
Interview with Sri Lankan Tamil scholar K. Sivathambi.
Renowned Sri Lankan Tamil scholar K. Sivathambi discusses in this interview a wide range of issues including the secular nature of the Tamil language, its antiquity and continuity, streamlining of post-doctoral research, and the post-war priorities in Sri Lanka. Excerpts:
As chairman of the Academic Committee of the World Classical Tamil Conference, how do you assess the importance of the meet?
The proof of the pudding is in the eating. So, it is important to know what is going to be the aftermath; what is going to flow out of this; how we are going to institutionalise the whole thing; and how we are going to maintain internationalism – the all-world character – and the Tamil character.
You have suggested greater coordination among universities with regard to research activities.
In Tamil Nadu, you have six or seven universities and many colleges affiliated to each of them. In the Tamil Department of the universities and in some of the famous colleges, PhD programmes are taken up.
We need not say that certain specialisation should be given exclusively to a particular university but there should be a common body to go through at least the PhD titles in order to ensure that there is no duplication of work. This can be achieved through a consortium of the graduate schools of various universities and colleges. It is very easily done. I know in American universities, there is a tradition by which one knows who is working in which area. In Tamil Nadu or in India, especially with relation to Tamil studies, quite often we find overlapping of research.
There is also another aspect that has to be looked into. Without minimising anyone's ability, I would like to suggest that post-doctoral promotions should take into account the number of research papers and books the scholars have published. I think we should give a chance to every student, especially to those who are involved in academic duties, to take up post-doctoral research programmes. There should be a deposit system of the theses and publications by the scholars at the Connemara Library [in Chennai].
Post-doctoral research should be streamlined and we should work on areas that demand attention. There can be international scholars. Today, there is no coordination between the work that is being done in Tamil studies at the South Asian Department of the European universities and what we are doing here. I would also suggest that these institutions meet once in three or five years and decide the type of specialisation and the type of work they are doing. This is also vital.
Full report here Frontline
Renowned Sri Lankan Tamil scholar K. Sivathambi discusses in this interview a wide range of issues including the secular nature of the Tamil language, its antiquity and continuity, streamlining of post-doctoral research, and the post-war priorities in Sri Lanka. Excerpts:
As chairman of the Academic Committee of the World Classical Tamil Conference, how do you assess the importance of the meet?
The proof of the pudding is in the eating. So, it is important to know what is going to be the aftermath; what is going to flow out of this; how we are going to institutionalise the whole thing; and how we are going to maintain internationalism – the all-world character – and the Tamil character.
You have suggested greater coordination among universities with regard to research activities.
In Tamil Nadu, you have six or seven universities and many colleges affiliated to each of them. In the Tamil Department of the universities and in some of the famous colleges, PhD programmes are taken up.
We need not say that certain specialisation should be given exclusively to a particular university but there should be a common body to go through at least the PhD titles in order to ensure that there is no duplication of work. This can be achieved through a consortium of the graduate schools of various universities and colleges. It is very easily done. I know in American universities, there is a tradition by which one knows who is working in which area. In Tamil Nadu or in India, especially with relation to Tamil studies, quite often we find overlapping of research.
There is also another aspect that has to be looked into. Without minimising anyone's ability, I would like to suggest that post-doctoral promotions should take into account the number of research papers and books the scholars have published. I think we should give a chance to every student, especially to those who are involved in academic duties, to take up post-doctoral research programmes. There should be a deposit system of the theses and publications by the scholars at the Connemara Library [in Chennai].
Post-doctoral research should be streamlined and we should work on areas that demand attention. There can be international scholars. Today, there is no coordination between the work that is being done in Tamil studies at the South Asian Department of the European universities and what we are doing here. I would also suggest that these institutions meet once in three or five years and decide the type of specialisation and the type of work they are doing. This is also vital.
Full report here Frontline
Sunday, July 4, 2010
'Tamil is mother of all languages in the world'
The Tamil language is older than Sanskrit and is "the mother of all languages in the world," said Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi on Wednesday.
Setting the stage for an academic debate on the antiquity of Tamil language at the World Classical Tamil conference in Coimbatore, the CM said more than 20 Tamil words had been found in Vedas by linguist Robert Caldwell, who coined the term Dravidian languages and first declared Tamil as a classical language.
"From this we learn that Tamil had an existence prior to Sanskrit," the CM said.
"Tamil is not only an international language, it is like a mother of all languages in the world,"' he said. Tamil scholar Devaneya Pavanar had established that Tamil is the primary classical language of the world, he said.
Full report here Times of India
Related news
More Chinese and Tamil language teachers to be recruited from 2011
Setting the stage for an academic debate on the antiquity of Tamil language at the World Classical Tamil conference in Coimbatore, the CM said more than 20 Tamil words had been found in Vedas by linguist Robert Caldwell, who coined the term Dravidian languages and first declared Tamil as a classical language.
"From this we learn that Tamil had an existence prior to Sanskrit," the CM said.
"Tamil is not only an international language, it is like a mother of all languages in the world,"' he said. Tamil scholar Devaneya Pavanar had established that Tamil is the primary classical language of the world, he said.
Full report here Times of India
Related news
More Chinese and Tamil language teachers to be recruited from 2011
Press Centre for nod on Tamil in HC: Jaya New Indian Express
Study Tamil to get jobs: Karunanidhi Calcutta Tube
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World Tamil Conference brings Sangam classic alive
Standard curriculum for Tamil as foreign language mooted Hindu
Make Tamil official language of Union Govt: DMK
With an eye on the assembly elections scheduled next year, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on June 27 demanded that Tamil be made an official language of the Union Government.
"Tamil should be made one of the official languages of the Union Government. Tamil should be made the official language of the Madras High Court," said Karunanidhi. Speaking at the International Tamil Conference in Coimbatore, Karunanidhi also demanded that Tamil language speakers be given priority in government jobs over natives of other states."Government job priorities should be given to people who know Tamil," he added.
Though the International Tamil Conference venue was meant for projecting Tamil power, the ruling DMK seems to have made it its political vehicle. Clearly, ahead of the next year's assembly polls, the DMK chief wants to reiterate his position as the champion of the Tamil language.
Full report here CNN IBN
Though the International Tamil Conference venue was meant for projecting Tamil power, the ruling DMK seems to have made it its political vehicle. Clearly, ahead of the next year's assembly polls, the DMK chief wants to reiterate his position as the champion of the Tamil language.
Full report here CNN IBN
Thursday, May 20, 2010
‘Samacheer Kalvi' textbooks will be a draw
A glossy front cover, superior quality printing on 80 G.S.M paper, multi-coloured fonts, with a fair share of exercises, activities and explanations. The much-awaited ‘Samacheer Kalvi' textbooks for Classes I and VI are a breezy read. The books were sent from the central godowns to reach the five regional centres in the State to be despatched by the postal department. It would reach the schools any day from now.
“The exercise to dispatch the books has started and we are confident that it would reach schools before the end of the month,” said Korlapati Satyagopal, Chairman and Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Textbook Corporation.
Addressing mediapersons here on Monday, he said that about 1.16 crore books are being printed for Equitable Standard School Education (‘Samacheer Kalvi') alone, with 81.50 lakh books for distribution to government and government-aided schools. According to the department, the requirement for Matriculation and Anglo-Indian schools is around 33 lakh books.
Full report here Hindu
“The exercise to dispatch the books has started and we are confident that it would reach schools before the end of the month,” said Korlapati Satyagopal, Chairman and Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Textbook Corporation.
Addressing mediapersons here on Monday, he said that about 1.16 crore books are being printed for Equitable Standard School Education (‘Samacheer Kalvi') alone, with 81.50 lakh books for distribution to government and government-aided schools. According to the department, the requirement for Matriculation and Anglo-Indian schools is around 33 lakh books.
Full report here Hindu
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
A stalwart of the Dravidian movement
C. N. Annadurai (1909–1969), with a balding pate, tobacco-stained teeth, stubble chin and a captivating husky voice, stood barely five feet and two inches. But he strode Tamil Nadu politics like a colossus. Anna, as he is widely known, harnessed the ideas and energies unleashed by his mentor Periyar E.V. Ramasamy and securely accommodated Tamil nationalism within the Indian nation-state.
His imprint on the Tamil language, both in print and on the platform, was distinct, with numerous emulators and imitators. Unfortunately, Anna has been ill-served by biographers. For want of a competently written biography in English, the non-Tamil readers were hugely handicapped in understanding the man who made a lasting impact on Indian politics. In bringing out this book, R. Kannan has addressed this long-felt need.
The author traces the eventful life of Anna from his birth in a modest weaver family in Kanchipuram. Getting a degree through Pachaiyappa's College, he chose a career in politics and cut his political teeth in the Justice Party that had a non-Brahmin base. His moment came when he was spotted by Periyar and groomed as his lieutenant.
Full report here Hindu
The author traces the eventful life of Anna from his birth in a modest weaver family in Kanchipuram. Getting a degree through Pachaiyappa's College, he chose a career in politics and cut his political teeth in the Justice Party that had a non-Brahmin base. His moment came when he was spotted by Periyar and groomed as his lieutenant.
Full report here Hindu
Monday, April 5, 2010
English made easy
AID India hopes to make English more accessible to the urban and rural poor in Tamil Nadu
A report on project ‘English Next India', funded by the British Council, has found that India is lagging behind China in the number of proficient English speakers. The report's initial findings suggest a number of barriers to the improvement of English proficiency in India, including a huge shortage of English teachers, and poor English holding back higher education.
Initial findings advise that a variety of strategies need to be employed to teach English; that there is no one magic solution. AID India founder and CEO, Balaji Sampath, is indirectly taking up the British Council on its advice. However, the education activist is looking at bringing about a change on a much smaller scale.
Through its flagship initiative, ‘Eureka Child', AID India aims to “provide quality education for every child in Tamil Nadu”, which includes making English more accessible to underprivileged children in urban and rural areas. “There is a big gap in education between the rich kids in English-medium schools and underprivileged kids in Government schools,” says Sampath.
Full report here Hindu
A report on project ‘English Next India', funded by the British Council, has found that India is lagging behind China in the number of proficient English speakers. The report's initial findings suggest a number of barriers to the improvement of English proficiency in India, including a huge shortage of English teachers, and poor English holding back higher education.
Initial findings advise that a variety of strategies need to be employed to teach English; that there is no one magic solution. AID India founder and CEO, Balaji Sampath, is indirectly taking up the British Council on its advice. However, the education activist is looking at bringing about a change on a much smaller scale.
Through its flagship initiative, ‘Eureka Child', AID India aims to “provide quality education for every child in Tamil Nadu”, which includes making English more accessible to underprivileged children in urban and rural areas. “There is a big gap in education between the rich kids in English-medium schools and underprivileged kids in Government schools,” says Sampath.
Full report here Hindu
Monday, March 29, 2010
'Dravida Nadu was a hollow concept'
Why are only Gandhi, Nehru and a few other national leaders widely studied and accepted nationally or internationally? Why are the regional leaders - who were gigantic figures in their own states - not given due importance? This was the question which spurred R Kannan to write Anna: The Life and Times of C N Annadurai.
Kannan, who works with the UN mission in Kosovo, was seven years old when Annadurai died in 1969. Entire Tamil Nadu went into deep mourning, and Chennai came to a standstill. This left a deep impression on the young Kannan, who then conducted extensive research into the life and times of the leader of the Dravidian Movement. In an exclusive interview to Salil Jose, Kannan explains how Annadurai's Dravida Nadu concept and his anti-Hindi stand impacted not just Tamil Nadu, but the entire country.Excerpts:
Earlier, you wrote a book in Tamil about your experience in Yugoslavia. And now you have written a book in English. What made you chose C N Annadurai as the subject of your first book in English?
Much has been written about national leaders like Gandhi and Nehru. Even foreign scholars have written about our national leaders. There are hundreds of books on them. On the other hand, little has been written about some of the regional leaders. They have governed their regions in their own way. But they are not well known nationally or internationally. They include regional giants like Periyar E V Ramasamy, C N Annadurai, S K Patil, and others. There is not a single internationally authored biography even on Kamaraj, who was the president of the Congress. It's a pity that we don't give due importance to these leaders.
Why did I chose to write about Annadurai? When Anna died on February 3, 1969, I was seven years old. The city (Madras) came to a standstill on that day. It was a day of mourning in every household. He was so popular. It left a deep impression on me.
Anna was a very simple man who was born in Kancheepuram, which was a very small town then. He came to Chennai to study. Here he blossomed into a well-read man.
He was attracted to the non-Brahmin movement, which was spearheaded by the Justice Party. This brought him close to Periyar, whom he considered as his leader. Their relation lasted for 14 years. The duo turned this part of the country upside down. The rest is history.
Full interview here Sify
Earlier, you wrote a book in Tamil about your experience in Yugoslavia. And now you have written a book in English. What made you chose C N Annadurai as the subject of your first book in English?
Much has been written about national leaders like Gandhi and Nehru. Even foreign scholars have written about our national leaders. There are hundreds of books on them. On the other hand, little has been written about some of the regional leaders. They have governed their regions in their own way. But they are not well known nationally or internationally. They include regional giants like Periyar E V Ramasamy, C N Annadurai, S K Patil, and others. There is not a single internationally authored biography even on Kamaraj, who was the president of the Congress. It's a pity that we don't give due importance to these leaders.
Why did I chose to write about Annadurai? When Anna died on February 3, 1969, I was seven years old. The city (Madras) came to a standstill on that day. It was a day of mourning in every household. He was so popular. It left a deep impression on me.
Anna was a very simple man who was born in Kancheepuram, which was a very small town then. He came to Chennai to study. Here he blossomed into a well-read man.
He was attracted to the non-Brahmin movement, which was spearheaded by the Justice Party. This brought him close to Periyar, whom he considered as his leader. Their relation lasted for 14 years. The duo turned this part of the country upside down. The rest is history.
Full interview here Sify
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Beyond hallowed paradigms of lives
In an engagingly written preface to Venomous Touch, Ravikumar, the activist-theoretician of the dalit movement and general secretary of the Viduthalai Ciruthaikal Katchi (VCK), traces his intellectual journey from Lenin to Bakunin, Gramsci, Althusser, Derrida and Ambedkar. Reading books rather than party politics, he says, was what gave him the impetus to think and act. For scholars and activists interested in the question of caste, Ravikumar lays out a challenging roadmap, straddling two worlds — that of theory and activism. Azhagarasan’s passionate rendering of the original Tamil essays into English has allowed Tamil dalit politics to travel to other spaces.
Written over a period of time, Ravikumar’s essays reflect his wide-ranging interests. From culture to communalism, from education to literature, Ravikumar probes the collective consensus that is democratic India today. In her foreword to the book, the feminist scholar Susie Tharu describes her first encounter with Ravikumar and writes of being charmed by the light, almost easy way in which his Niraparikai group translated, used and disseminated theory. Ravikumar is located in the political moment that followed the break-up of the Soviet Union, the moment when other things happened: the rediscovery of Iyothee Thass, the emergence of Subaltern Studies and the translation of Ambedkar into the regional languages.
Full report here New Indian Express
Written over a period of time, Ravikumar’s essays reflect his wide-ranging interests. From culture to communalism, from education to literature, Ravikumar probes the collective consensus that is democratic India today. In her foreword to the book, the feminist scholar Susie Tharu describes her first encounter with Ravikumar and writes of being charmed by the light, almost easy way in which his Niraparikai group translated, used and disseminated theory. Ravikumar is located in the political moment that followed the break-up of the Soviet Union, the moment when other things happened: the rediscovery of Iyothee Thass, the emergence of Subaltern Studies and the translation of Ambedkar into the regional languages.
Full report here New Indian Express
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