State power said necessary for uplifting Tamil

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 October 2002, 17:20 GMT]
"Tamil language and culture can never prosper as long as Tamils do not have state power. The Tamil language is demeaned by Tamils themselves in Tamilnadu. One cannot even engage in peaceful protest for Tamil rights in Tamilnadu. Tamilians and the Tamil language cannot survive until the Hindutva ideology is extirpated from Tamil society," said Mr. R. Thirumavalavan, member of the Tamilnadu legislative assembly, addressing a meeting in the University of Jaffna Wednesday.

Mr. Thirumavalavan addressing the meeting at the Jaffna University's kailasapathy Hall Wednesday.

Mr. Thirumavalavan is the leader of the Liberation Cheetahs party in Tamilnadu.

"Tamils do not name their children in Tamil today. Tamil movies are given English names. Our ancient language has many Sanskrit words, which we take for granted as Tamil. Tamils build temples; they work hard to construct every part of the temple with their money and labour. Once the temple is complete, the Tamil is asked to stand away from god. When the temple is consecrated, he/she can worship only the building’s pinnacle. The Brahmins in Tamilnadu are bold enough to stop temple poojas being performed in Tamil. They say that Tamil is a despicable language (Neesa Basha). And the tamils in Tamilnadu listen to them because they have lost all sense of self respect", Mr. Thirumavalavan said.

The Tamil poet Inqulab, the vice chancellor of the University of Jaffna, the film director from Tamilnadu, Puhalenthi Thangaraj, the writer P. Jeyaprakasam etc., addressed the meeting in the Kailasapthy Hall in the Jaffna University.