Why Preserve Tamil Heritage?

[Oldposts]

Topic started by Chandra on Sat Jan 22 15:03:12 .


Taken from "thamiz maNam" a magazine of the Georgia Tamil Sangam, Atlanta.

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"Why Preserve Tamil Heritage?"
P. Chandrasekaran, Atlanta, perichandra@yahoo.com

That is the only means to connect with one’s own ancestors hundreds of generations back.Tamil heritage is the only record of the sentiments, habits and customs typical of those of one’s own forefathers! Simply ask yourself the following series of questions :
· Have I seen my grandparents? Played with them?
· How much do I know about my great grandparents? Any images of them?
· Do I know at least the names of my great-great-grandparents?
· Wouldn’t I love to have any information about my forefathers?
· ….What information do I have of my forefathers 50 generations back (1000 years ago)?
· What information do I have of my forefathers 100 generations back (2000 years ago)? What kind of Tamil did my own great-great….great-grandmother speak? What was the typical music she was listening to? Her marriage ceremonies? Moral sentiments?
· What is the choicest artifact that can I leave behind that will serve as memory of myself in my descendants 1000 years from now? What role models do I leave behind for them?
· How do I ensure that I and my progeny systematically care about the memories of my own forefathers who lived thousands of years ago?
· The world seems to be getting homogenized. Everybody seems to act like everybody else even when they don’t have to. Variety in the world is fast disappearing! Will the mankind end up with a robotic uniformity 100 years from now meaning there will be even less specificity of memories of my own forefathers and of myself? Will my life, feelings and soul be lost and forgotten in the technological rat race?

Tamil heritage has preserved the choicest artifacts over the past thousands of years. The timeless sangam classics have preserved the superb diction, subtle sentiments, graceful and profound customs of 2000 years ago! Tamil language is the key to that treasury. Enjoying that wealth is the only way to save it! Let us allocate time and space to appreciate it and to pass it on to our children.
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[Oldposts]

chandrA,

The world seems to be getting homogenized. Everybody seems to act like everybody else even when they don?t have to. Variety in the world is fast disappearing! Will the mankind end up with a robotic uniformity 100 years from now meaning there will be even less specificity of memories of my own forefathers and of myself? Will my life, feelings and soul be lost and forgotten in the technological rat race?

you hit the nail on its head. i don't care about leaving behind memories of myself or my foreparents (this seems narcissm to be me :-)) ). one needs to preserve one's own culture in order leave behind a interesting world for the future generations. already, the unbridled "free-market" (yArukku free enpatu perumpAnmayinarukkup puriyAtatu :-) ) "culture" has homogenized the world so badly, it's time, not just the tamiz makkaL, but everyone take a good look at their (almost forgotten) culture. for us, we need to learn and preserve the cangka ilakkiyangkaL and whenever/wherever possible try to integrate some of their (our foreparent's) customs in to our lives.

[Oldposts]

My Peruvian friend feels sad that in her family only her grandmother (who has stayed back in Peru) speaks the native language. People of her generation were discouraged by the parents to speak their language, in their hurry to espanise themselves.

Another friend from Hungary recounts how her father fought with their grandmother over teaching the grandchildren Hungarian. He wanted to ensure that his children spoke American without an accent.

And today you see many Americans huddled over 'Ancestory-tracing' software. And my 55-year old friend is trying to enroll herself in a Hungarian language class.

Even some of the Chinese, who have no intentions of going back ever, who go to the extent of anglicising their names, insist on speaking Chinese at home.

Although the Indian languages and culture are formidable, having held their own through centuries of invasions and subjugations, one should not be lethargic. Just like all bad habits, one can lose language and identity before one can wink.

Why is everyone looking for roots ? Because that is what gives confidence. For all that stuff about a melting pot, people in the U.S do envy clearly identified roots.

I think that, personally for me, my confidence comes from , not English or Technical education, but all those discourses by Pulavar Keeran that I attended as a child. I dont remember all of them verbatim - Kamba Ramayanam, Periya Puranam, MahabAratham, Kanda PurAnam and so many, but when I am discussing Valmiki's Ramayanam with my husband, I remember certain different interpretations in flashes. No amount of dollars will buy those discourses for my sons here !! But it is my duty to pass on as much as I can. For the sake of building their confidence !!

[Oldposts]

When I reads this thread, this only came to my mind immediately. I had this friend in my school who is a dalit and his father was a cobbler. We were in the same class for almost three years continuously. And whenever the new class begins each year, that teacher - student introduction formality was there. And each one will get up and tell his name and tell what was his father. And I still remember that face, when he had to tell the whole class and in front of his new teacher what was his father doing.

And we have about 18-20% tamil population similar to my friend.
What would be the reaction if any body ask them about their heritage and their culture? Would they not prefer a "robotic" uniformity? Would they not actually prefer that "my life, feelings and soul shall be lost and forgotten in any kind of race including the technological rat race"

Is this looming threat of cultural uniformity and lose of heritage are actually the result of the silent curse of generation after generation of those people?

[Oldposts]

Dravid,

This is what I was discussing with someone a few days ago.

A year ago when I joined my new job, my boss asked me which town I lived in. As soon as I told her her face lit up. "My father was a milkman in that town for 20 years" she said joyously.

My current boss very nonchalantly talks about his father who was a janitor in a school all his life.

How different from our country !!

[Oldposts]

Dravid,

I pressed the send before I finished.

If your class were to be transported to the U.S this is what would have happened. The child would have stood up proudly declared that his father was a Shoemaker. Also perhaps keeping with the best traditions of boys of that age who are always in awe of their fathers, might have added something like "Guess What ! He is the best shoemaker in the world !!" :-))

"Andha Naalum Vandidadho"

[Oldposts]

"..Tamil heritage has preserved the choicest artifacts over the past thousands of years. The timeless sangam classics have preserved the superb diction, subtle sentiments, graceful and profound customs of 2000 years ago! Tamil language is the key to that treasury. Enjoying that wealth is the only way to save it! Let us allocate time and space to appreciate it and to pass it on to our children..."
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[Oldposts]

Sugurutha,

Could you be more specific? I just couldnt make out whather you are lamenting about the society or about the lack of proud of my friend there. Your Smily confused me little bit more.

[Oldposts]

Dear Vassan,

In your font tag, you have an extra space in front of "TSC" as in:

"Mylai TSC,Arulmathi TSC,Inaimathi TSC"

Because of that the TSCII Tamil text is not readable unless the default font is a TSCII font.

[Oldposts]

Dravid,

I am faulting the society that has robbed a small child of his pride (for his father). Can anything be more cruel ?

[Oldposts]

* Thank You n-aNbar Mani *


From: Vassan (@ gup-085-dpm2.cia-g.com) on: Sun Jan 23 14:16:18 EST 2000

Chandra quoted from "thamiz maNam":

"..Tamil heritage has preserved the choicest artifacts over the past thousands of years. The timeless sangam classics have preserved the superb diction, subtle sentiments, graceful and profound customs of 2000 years ago! Tamil language is the key to that treasury. Enjoying that wealth is the only way to save it! Let us allocate time and space to appreciate it and to pass it on to our children..."
---------------------
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[Oldposts]

Dear chandra,
I am on a vacation to USA. I am impressed withthe zeal with which Tamizhars of USA care about preserving heritage. I am sure this bug has caught on with Tamizhars on watching the Amercians trying hard to preserve their heritage of not so old. may be 500 years old at best. The sad and cruel facet of it is that in the Tamil land, the heritage is not well preserved or cared for. Petty politics and "naan periavanaa illay nee perivalaa" is what is overriding than preserving the heritage. In fact I found that reading is well encouraged in USA to kids, on many topics. Music is one medium where by language and heritage could be well preserved. There is a profound need for composing songs in Tamil and English (similar to Elmo songs on Spanish and English) to teach the language to Tamils settled in USA. Sure yd agree with me.

[Oldposts]

Hey Iam from Kerala and guess what? I still keep malayalam which came from Tamil. So I speak it and I also speak Tamil cause thats my heritage. Naan oru thavana sonnu adhu 100 thavanu sonna madhiri. Big respect to the motherland, culture, tradition, and roots.

[Oldposts]

Right now Iam in America but that don't mean that I hate my own people, culture, etc :-D

[sundararaj]

Good thread and very good info.