The Hindu : Other States / Pondicherry News : Rangasamy promises help for writers visiting Malaysia

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 14, 2004

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Rangasamy promises help for writers visiting Malaysia

By Our Staff Reporter

PONDICHERRY, DEC. 13. The Chief Minister, N. Rangasamy, today said his Government would provide assistance to writers to visit Malaysia to learn about the literature, culture and way of life there. He was responding to an invitation extended by the Malaysian Tamil Writers Association to Pondicherry writers to visit their country.

Mr. Rangasamy honoured the 35 Tamil writers who were on a `literary tour' of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. The tour would provide an opportunity for strengthening the ties between Malaysia and Pondicherry, Mr. Rangasamy said.

The Minister for Art and Culture, K. Lakshminarayanan, said the Government was taking steps to promote the development of the Tamil language.

He said his department would conduct summer camps to train youngsters in writing short stories and in public speaking.

He said the Government was also thinking of forming a federation of experts in the fields of music, theatre and literature. They could provide the training for the youth, he added.

Rajendran, president of the Malaysian Tamil Writers Association, said the association was ready to host Tamil writers interested in learning about Tamil literature in Malaysia, for a period of three months.

From being mere contract labourers in plantations in 1833, Tamils in Malaysia had risen to great heights.

Though they form only 7.8 per cent of the population, they still have their own identity, he added.

The Chief Minister also released two books on the occasion — `Malaysia Thamizh Ezhuthalargal' and `Malaysia Thamizh Ilakiyam.'

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