The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Join hands to make Tamil an official language: Karunanidhi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 18, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Join hands to make Tamil an official language: Karunanidhi

By Our Staff Reporter

MADURAI, OCT. 17. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president and former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi today called for a collective approach to make Tamil an official language.

"The Union Ministers and MPs of Tamil Nadu should constantly pursue the demand with the Centre and ensure that a committee is formed as promised by President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam to study the feasibility of making Tamil an official language," he said at a function organised by the `Association of Tamil Scholars' to honour him here.

Mr. Karunanidhi said he would strive for the rights of Tamil, though he had respect for all languages. "We are not claiming that only Tamil should be made an official language. The proposed committee can decide on the merits of languages (proposed for inclusion in the list of official languages) based on their literary and historical value."

Accusing the State Government of not showing any concern to get Tamil declared a classical language, the DMK leader said he had taken up the demand with the then Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee on several occasions. The file on making Tamil a classical language was closed during the tenure of the former Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran, he claimed.

"I do not want to take credit for this achievement (of getting Tamil declared a classical language) since it was the result of a long-fought struggle. As early as in 1885, the need for making Tamil a classical language was voiced by Parithimar Kalaignar (Surya Narayana Sastrigal). Several Tamil organisations and universities also passed resolutions in support of the cause," he said, adding that the dream was made a reality in the present regime led by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Pointing out that Tamil was an official language in Singapore and Malaysia, he wondered why there should be a problem doing so in India, from where it originated. However, Tamil has the pride of being the first language to be declared classical by the Centre.

Tamil scholars, including Vairamuthu, `Kaviko' Abdul Rehman and V.M. Sethuraman hailed Mr. Karunanidhi for getting Tamil declared a classical language.

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