The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : “Effective expression possible only in mother tongue”

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Thursday, Jul 31, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

“Effective expression possible only in mother tongue”

Special Correspondent

— Photo: K. Pichumani

PROMOTING TAMIL: Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudy releasing a book at the inauguration of M.A. in Media Studies at Loyola College on Wednesday, Principal Albert Muthumalai (right) and Vincent Chinnathurai, chairman, State Minorities Commission, are in the picture.

CHENNAI: Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudy on Wednesday urged the youth to end their infatuation with English and rediscover the richness of their mother tongue.

Launching an MA programme in Media Arts in Tamil medium at Loyola College, he made out a case for Tamil as the medium of instruction. While English was at best a channel for communication, the medium of instruction had to be Tamil.

The Minister took a dig at the modern-day boys and girls for their preference to converse in improper English rather than in proper Tamil. Mr. Ponmudy said the reason for his advocacy of Tamil was simple: effective expression was possible only in one’s mother tongue. The exactness of expression was a vital function of the print and electronic media. However, the media was often guilty of “saying what it should not and suppressing what it should tell the people.”

The Minister pointed out that elsewhere in the world, especially Europe and China, the mother tongue was the dominant language. “Why, in China even an academic like the Vice-Chancellor of a premier university uses an interpreter for English.”

The government was reviving the use of Tamil as a medium of instruction, he said. Against this backdrop, the Tamil medium course launched by Loyola College, in a sense, fulfilled a dream of Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, he said.

Book released

He launched a textbook on photography authored by A. R. C. Shanmugam, visiting faculty at Loyola College.

Vincent Chinnathurai, chairman, State Minorities Commission, said the course would facilitate social advancement of rural youth. It would also contribute to enriching the linguistic and literary heritage of Tamil and enable the youth proficient in Tamil to participate in the shaping of a knowledge society.

Xavier Alphonse, member, University Grants Commission; Albert Muthumalai, Loyola College principal; John Prakasam, vice-principal; and K. Amal, Rector, spoke.

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