It’s literary fete vs classical Tamil meet

COIMBATORE: Even as the countdown for the five-day World Classical Tamil meet has begun, a group of Tamil enthusiasts, research scholars and creative writers played host to a literary fete under the aegis of ‘Tamil Neyam’ in the Texcity.

Kovai Gnani, editor of the ‘Tamil Neyam’, who along with scores of his literary friends conceived the idea of holding a literary seminar focusing on different facets of Tamil language, besides releasing a 412-page souvenir titled ‘Tamil Malar’.

With 22-research papers on education, history, culture and tradition, besides Tamil movement, the book features poems portraying the richness of Tamil language, besides 20 essays on Sangam literature and Tamil literature by expatriates. It also contains introduction to 15 new books by different authors and memory notes on Tamil scholars who died recently.

Recalling his Kolkata experience, Prof Ma Ra Po Gurusamy, former HoD, Tamil department, PSG College of Arts and Science, while releasing the book said that he walked the long stretch scouting for the English translation of Rabindranath Tagore’s poems. To utter disappointment, he could not get a copy as shopwallahs were selling his collections of poems in Bengali language. This only showed how much they gave importance to their mother tongue.

 Prof Thangappa stressed the need for making Tamil as a medium of instruction right from LKG to Plus Two besides enacting a law on this count. Gana Kurinchi gave a review of the book.Later, a policy statement containing the charter of demands was released on the occasion followed by Prof B Marudanayagam of Classical Tamil Research Central Organisation, addressing on `Tamil Elakkiyam Idhuvarai Eni’.