Truefeeling :: Diaspora Tamil & Hindi

Suggested Citation: Satya, B. and Satya J.(2003). Diaspora: Tamil - Hindi. Retreived from http://www.truefeeling.com/diaspora.htm

Diaspora: Tamil-Hindi

The obvious question - why touch this sensitive issue? We choose to discuss this here because as an intercultural couple, we feel that we can raise some pertinent questions from a more neutral and respectful standpoint than most belonging to either sect. We also believe that having had the opportunity to talk to our families regarding this issue has widened our perspective.

An on-going effort
What we have presented here is just a synopsis of what we have learned and questioned over the years. We are no experts in this field, and realize that you might just be. We both respect each other's cultures and feel that sharing our point of view is only the beginning of understanding and bridging this rather tiring contention.

Tamil: A member of the Dravidian family whose 66 million speakers belong to almost all of southern India. It has the longest tradition among the four ancient literary languages of southern India (Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, and Telugu). The earliest records date from inscriptions from 200 BC. During the medieval period Tamil absorbed many loan words from Sanskrit in the verbal system, but in the 1900s attempts were made to purge Tamil of its Sanskrit loans.

Hindi: The language got its name by the Persian-speaking Turks who overran Punjab and the Gangetic plains in the early eleventh century from Hindvi (the land of the Indus river). Hindvi was constructed largely from Sanskrit loan words which had been 'softened' for 'bol-chal' or common speech. It belongs to the Indo-Aryan group of languages. More than 180 million people in India regard Hindi as their mother tongue.

India - our entire country is stricken with poverty and corruption. Communal wars over culture, caste and language take precedence over humanity. All of this reflects in individual relationships... and that's what we have seen here in America. More often we have met Tamil speakers who wouldn't talk in Hindi because speaking Hindi brings about a feeling of oppression for them. We have also met North Indians or Hindi speaking individuals who take pleasure in making fun of Tamil phonetics and cultural elements. Since we both belong to each of these sects, we question: why do we stand in such contempt? Is it because our history and culture promotes this separation? Over the years, the narrow intercultural bridge between Tamilians and Hindi speaking communities has eroded to the point of utter collapse. A few radical South Indians even feel that they need a land of their own - Elamnation!

Language dilemma
Hindi and English are the national languages of India. In addition each state has its own regional majority language e.g. for the state of Tamil Nadu, the regional language is Tamil. This pre-selection of Hindi as a national language has kept alive the deeply-rooted psychological, social, cultural and linguistical rift between the two communities. Tamilians have always thought of Hindi as an imposition even before the British rule ended. The irony of this situation is that based on majority, a regional language of Tamil is accepted for Tamil Nadu, but the majority based national language of Hindi is rejected!

The first anti-Hindi agitation was in 1938 when Hindi was made a mandatory subject in Madras schools - within two years, this had to be reversed. In fact, this cat and mouse game between the constitution and the state of Madras school system has continued since then. In 1959, Indian Government controlled All India Radio (AIR) started using the Hindi word Akashwani on the air. That led to Tamil writers and performers' refusal to perform or participate in radio programs. Indian Government decided to use the old name "All India Radio" in Tamil Nadu while Akashwani was used in other states.
Tamilians in Tamil Nadu have to learn Hindi in their schools and government work places, whereas Hindi speaking persons in India don't have to learn Tamil, because of lack of necessity in daily lives.

Media as a Common Cultural Icon
A land where movies are produced in the largest numbers daily, why is there no investment in using it as a tool to promote intercultural understanding? For example, the super-hit N. Chandra movie, 'Ek Duje Ke Liye': a story about a North Indian girl who falls in love with her neighbor, a South Indian boy. They fail to get married with parents' approval, and that leads to extensive melodrama and emotional upheaval -eventually leading to a dual-suicide by the lovers. A dark love story depicting the socio-cultural and linguistic gap existing between the two communities. Although this movie glamorized the intercultural marriage, it also reinforced the very social stigmas it was trying to illuminate by presenting a hopeless situation where even love couldn't survive! Similarly, in many other cases, the media which could've been be a unifying platform has only served as a despicable tool for keeping prejudices alive.

Where are we now?
This language resistance is an on-going traumatic effect of the Aryan invasion during the Indus valley civilization, when Dravidians had no choice but to be pushed to the tip of the country i.e. South. Other than the Brahmins, Dravidians were rejected socially by the Aryans. Did we over-look this past as we continued to build democracy for the future? Have we ever been sensitive to the loss of the Dravidians, who originally inhabited India?

Needless to say, this is a pertinent issue that needs more research and thought than what it has received so far. Before we accept the politicized divisive agenda of the radicals, we should invest time in getting to know each other. At the root of it all, is it really a "language " issue or an "insensitivity" and "ignorance" issue? We need to address these inquiries with clarity and dignity to prevent stagnation of our thinking and behavior. We cannot turn anywhere but to each other - we have to first take steps to learn and educate our communities more about each other.

What we ask
- Can we really be such purists and yet be a productive member of our own community let alone national and global? India as a multilingual society is an asset not a curse. Shouldn't we see all Indian languages as part of the same national family?
- Are we really that different?
- How can we handle larger issues like child labor, poverty, hunger etc., if we are trapped in our personal/communal agendas/vendettas?
- Can speaking the national language cause moral diffusion?
- Every nation has its "own" national language based on majority of its population, for France its French, for Germany its German, for UK its English, why then in India, should it not be the same?

It is for us to try and answer these questions before we blindly participate in badgering of one another over the name of language and culture!

What we say
"Before we jump on the wagon of hate, lets experiment with love." - Truefeeling

Resources:
UCLA Language Materials Project. Tamil Profile.
Retreived from: http://www.lmp.ucla.edu/profiles/proft02.htm


	(SatyaBhavna :: What we feel about a few truths!)

		DIASPORA
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	Suggested Citation: Satya, B. and Satya J.(2003). Diaspora: Tamil - Hindi. Retreived from http://www.truefeeling.com/diaspora.htm Diaspora: Tamil-Hindi The obvious question - why touch this sensitive issue? We choose to discuss this here because as an intercultural couple, we feel that we can raise some pertinent questions from a more neutral and respectful standpoint than most belonging to either sect. We also believe that having had the opportunity to talk to our families regarding this issue has widened our perspective. *An on-going effort* What we have presented here is just a synopsis of what we have learned and questioned over the years. We are no experts in this field, and realize that you might just be. We both respect each other's cultures and feel that sharing our point of view is only the beginning of understanding and bridging this rather tiring contention. Tamil: A member of the Dravidian family whose 66 million speakers belong to almost all of southern India. It has the longest tradition among the four ancient literary languages of southern India (Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, and Telugu). The earliest records date from inscriptions from 200 BC. During the medieval period Tamil absorbed many loan words from Sanskrit in the verbal system, but in the 1900s attempts were made to purge Tamil of its Sanskrit loans. Hindi: The language got its name by the Persian-speaking Turks who overran Punjab and the Gangetic plains in the early eleventh century from Hindvi (the land of the Indus river). Hindvi was constructed largely from Sanskrit loan words which had been 'softened' for 'bol-chal' or common speech. It belongs to the Indo-Aryan group of languages. More than 180 million people in India regard Hindi as their mother tongue. India - our entire country is stricken with poverty and corruption. Communal wars over culture, caste and language take precedence over humanity. All of this reflects in individual relationships... and that's what we have seen here in America. More often we have met Tamil speakers who wouldn't talk in Hindi because speaking Hindi brings about a feeling of oppression for them. We have also met North Indians or Hindi speaking individuals who take pleasure in making fun of Tamil phonetics and cultural elements. Since we both belong to each of these sects, we question: why do we stand in such contempt? Is it because our history and culture promotes this separation? Over the years, the narrow intercultural bridge between Tamilians and Hindi speaking communities has eroded to the point of utter collapse. A few radical South Indians even feel that they need a land of their own - Elamnation! *Language dilemma* Hindi and English are the national languages of India. In addition each state has its own regional majority language e.g. for the state of Tamil Nadu, the regional language is Tamil. This pre-selection of Hindi as a national language has kept alive the deeply-rooted psychological, social, cultural and linguistical rift between the two communities. Tamilians have always thought of Hindi as an imposition even before the British rule ended. The irony of this situation is that based on majority, a regional language of Tamil is accepted for Tamil Nadu, but the majority based national language of Hindi is rejected! The first anti-Hindi agitation was in 1938 when Hindi was made a mandatory subject in Madras schools - within two years, this had to be reversed. In fact, this cat and mouse game between the constitution and the state of Madras school system has continued since then. In 1959, Indian Government controlled All India Radio (AIR) started using the Hindi word Akashwani on the air. That led to Tamil writers and performers' refusal to perform or participate in radio programs. Indian Government decided to use the old name "All India Radio" in Tamil Nadu while Akashwani was used in other states. Tamilians in Tamil Nadu have to learn Hindi in their schools and government work places, whereas Hindi speaking persons in India don't have to learn Tamil, because of lack of necessity in daily lives. Media as a Common Cultural Icon A land where movies are produced in the largest numbers daily, why is there no investment in using it as a tool to promote intercultural understanding? For example, the super-hit N. Chandra movie, 'Ek Duje Ke Liye': a story about a North Indian girl who falls in love with her neighbor, a South Indian boy. They fail to get married with parents' approval, and that leads to extensive melodrama and emotional upheaval -eventually leading to a dual-suicide by the lovers. A dark love story depicting the socio-cultural and linguistic gap existing between the two communities. Although this movie glamorized the intercultural marriage, it also reinforced the very social stigmas it was trying to illuminate by presenting a hopeless situation where even love couldn't survive! Similarly, in many other cases, the media which could've been be a unifying platform has only served as a despicable tool for keeping prejudices alive. Where are we now? This language resistance is an on-going traumatic effect of the Aryan invasion during the Indus valley civilization, when Dravidians had no choice but to be pushed to the tip of the country i.e. South. Other than the Brahmins, Dravidians were rejected socially by the Aryans. Did we over-look this past as we continued to build democracy for the future? Have we ever been sensitive to the loss of the Dravidians, who originally inhabited India? Needless to say, this is a pertinent issue that needs more research and thought than what it has received so far. Before we accept the politicized divisive agenda of the radicals, we should invest time in getting to know each other. At the root of it all, is it really a "language " issue or an "insensitivity" and "ignorance" issue? We need to address these inquiries with clarity and dignity to prevent stagnation of our thinking and behavior. We cannot turn anywhere but to each other - we have to first take steps to learn and educate our communities more about each other. *What we ask* - Can we really be such purists and yet be a productive member of our own community let alone national and global? India as a multilingual society is an asset not a curse. Shouldn't we see all Indian languages as part of the same national family? - Are we really that different? - How can we handle larger issues like child labor, poverty, hunger etc., if we are trapped in our personal/communal agendas/vendettas? - Can speaking the national language cause moral diffusion? - Every nation has its "own" national language based on majority of its population, for France its French, for Germany its German, for UK its English, why then in India, should it not be the same? It is for us to try and answer these questions before we blindly participate in badgering of one another over the name of language and culture! What we say "Before we jump on the wagon of hate, lets experiment with love." - Truefeeling Resources: UCLA Language Materials Project. Tamil Profile. Retreived from: http://www.lmp.ucla.edu/profiles/proft02.htm
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