Tamil Nadu - Chennai   

V.I. Subramaniam passes away

CHENNAI: V.I. Subramaniam, the first Vice-Chancellor of Tamil University, Thanjavur, died on Monday in Thiruvananthapuram. He was 84 and is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.

Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, in his condolence message, said that Subramaniam had worked ceaselessly to bring the study of Dravidian linguistics to the attention of leading international scholars. An institution builder, he was the pro-chancellor of Dravidian University, Kuppam, and founder of the Dravidian Linguistic Association, Thiruvananthapuram. He had a pivotal role in establishing the International Institute of Tamil Studies. He had also functioned as vice-chairman of the Central Institute of Classical Tamil. Finance Minister K. Anbazhagan also condoled the death.

Born at Vadasery in Kanyakumari district, Subramaniam became a student of Tamil scholar Vaiyapuri Pillai. He did his doctorate in linguistics from Indiana University in the U.S. He had also worked in Annamalai University and the University of Kerala. “I cannot think of anyone when it comes to institution building. Tamil University, the Dravidian Linguistic Association and the International Journal of Dravidian Linguistics journal published by him bear testimony to his calibre as an institution builder and a scholar,” said V. Arasu, head of the Tamil Department in Madras University.

Dr. Arasu pointed out that some of the outstanding scholars in linguistics were students of Subramaniam.

James Reynolds Daniels, former Principal of the Scot Christian College and student of Subramaniam, recalled Subramaniam’s pioneering work of preparing the linguistic map of the regional community in Thiruvananthapuram on the lines of English works published in England and America. “It was he who got translated into Tamil Rene Wellek’s Theory of Literature. It is considered the bible for literature students,” he added.

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