Milestone for Tamil - The First World Classical Tamil Conference in Coimbatore (Tamilnadu). (South India - India.)

The inaugural of the World Classical Tamil Conference in Coimbatore

on Wednesday by the Hon'ble President Ms. Pratibha Patil in the presence of

The Chief Minister, Mr M. Karunanidhi and

The Governor, Mr Surjit Singh Barnala are in the picture.

The President, Ms Pratibha Patil, has expressed confidence that as a living language, Tamil would evolve to meet the needs of a changing world, even as it drew strength from its ancient roots.

The enterprising spirit of Tamils and their creativity were instrumental in their success and would continue to bring them success, she said.

Inaugurating the first World Classical Tamil Conference at Coimbatore on Wednesday, she said the conferment of Classical Language status on Tamil in 2004 was “a recognition of not only the antiquity and the richness of the language but also of its role as a carrier of great culture containing inspiring messages.”

Appreciating the Tamil people for having “greatly enriched the composite heritage of India” and enhancing the cultural richness of the world, she said the Tamil ethos based on “pluralism, tolerance and a humanistic approach” had contributed in a variety of ways to the progress of the country. It also helped shape India's identity as a country rich in art and music, architecture and literature. She paid compliments to Tamil language, which, “with its vibrancy and richness, has made India a proud multilingual society.”

The President said the Tamils were dynamic and enterprising and much before the days of the ‘Silk Route', Tamil merchants from the Indian coast to the Persian Gulf and the Tamilians around the first century BC discovered and harnessed trade winds. Ms Patil said respect for each other's religion had long been part of Tamil cultural tradition and the existence of a huge body of work on different beliefs was an example of “different faiths co-existing and enriching each other through their interaction”. For peace and harmony, we also need a world that “does not discriminate and that does not tolerate inequality”. Tamil Nadu has also been leading in social reform, fighting social biases and working to achieve a society where people from all sections would be treated with equal respect, she said.

The President said as the country progressed economically it has sought to follow an inclusive growth paradigm benefiting all sections of society, particularly rural areas. Tamil language was among the oldest living languages of the world with its extraordinary volume of literature and grammar. Tamil literary personalities made signal contribution to the country's Independence movement. The poems of Subramania Bharati evoked in the minds of the people of India deep feelings of patriotism during the freedom struggle.

Spurring research

Ms Patil said the next generation of Tamils “must anchor as well as equip themselves with knowledge of Tamil culture, literature and values”. The establishment of the Central Institute of Classical Tamil in Chennai was important in this context, she added.

The Chief Minister, Mr M.Karunanidhi, who presided, said the World Classical Tamil Conference was the first such conference being held after Tamil language was conferred the status of a classical language. He hoped the conference, keeping in mind future needs, would find ways to promote Tamil computing, to encourage research in literature, translation, history, etc.

The Tamil Nadu Governor, Mr Surjit Singh Barnala, said Tamil has the privilege of being an official language in Sri Lanka and Singapore and is spoken in more than 55 countries globally. There were many similarities in the messages of Tiruvalluvar and those conveyed by Lord Mahavir, Guru Nanakji, Saint Kabir and others, he said, and hoped the conference would pave the way for promotion of Tamil studies and research at a global level.

Prof George Hart from the US, Dr V.C. Kulandai Swamy, Vice-President, International Association of Tamil Research, and Prof K. Sivathamby from Sri Lanka, offered felicitations.

The President presented the “Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi Classical Tamil Award” to Prof Asko Parpola.

The Finance Minister, Prof K. Anbazhagan, read the citation. The Deputy Chief Minister, Mr M.K. Stalin, welcomed and the Chief Secretary, Mr K.S. Sripathi, proposed a vote of thanks.