Tamil nationalism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_nationalism

Tamil nationalism
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tamil nationalism expresses itself in the form of linguistic purism

("Pure Tamil"), of nationalism and irredentism ("Dravida Nadu"), and
of Anti-Casteism ("Self-Respect Movement").
Tamils ruled over Tamilakam ("Home of the Tamils") during the
pre-colonial era. After the colonial era, they became a part of India
and Sri Lanka. With 77 million population, Tamils are one of the
largest stateless nations in the world. The desire for an independent
Tamil state and patriotism to the Tamil language and culture were the
main constituents of the Tamil nationalism,even though modern-day
approach refers to the affection of Tamils towards Tamil language.
Distribution of Tamil speakers in
South India and Sri Lanka (1961).

Contents
1 Sri Lanka
2 Linguistic purism
2.1 History
2.2 Basis in pre-modern literature
3 Dravidian identity
4 Political parties
5 Cross-straits nationalism
6 See also
7 Notes
8 References

Sri Lanka
Since the Anti Tamil pogroms of 1983, known as Black July, Tamil nationalists in Sri Lanka attempted to
create an independent state (Tamil Eelam) amid the increasing political and physical violence against
ordinary Tamils by the Sri Lankan government which was dominated by Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism.
After the island's independence from Britain, the Sri Lankan government passed the Citizenship Act of 1948,
which made more than a million Tamils of Indian origin stateless. The government also passed a Sinhala Only
Act, which severely threatens the natural presence of minority language as well as damaging their social
mobility.[1] (http://www.scribd.com/doc/12755079/Genocide-of-Tamils-in-Sri-Lanka-The-UnspeakableTruth-BTF-Publication). In addition, the government also initiated Sinhalese colonisation scheme which is
targeted to dilute the numerical presence of the minorities as well as to occupy the traditional economics
such as agriculture and fisheries which is held by Tamils since immemorial times. In response an armed group
known as the LTTE or Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam emerged to safeguard the interest and rights of
Tamils in their own land. Their violent tactics and infamous assassinations led them to be labelled as terrorist
by India, Malaysia, European Union and recently USA. The resulting civil war has taken the lives of more
than 70,000 Sri Lankan Tamils since 1983 alone.[1]

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Linguistic purism
History
The anti-hindi agitation was a peaceful opposition to Hindi-extremism, a forceful imposition of Hindi
language throughout India. Hindi-extremism was often supported by Political leaders who viewed it as a tool
to spread casteism by re-instating Sanskrit enroute Hindi.[2] C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji), who wanted to
reinstate Varna system in India, tried to forcefully impose the usage of hindi as the national language,
which mandates teaching of hindi in all Indian schools. This move was immediately opposed by Periyar, who
started an agitation that lasted for about three years. The agitation was multifaceted involving fasts,
conferences, marches, picketing and protests. The government responded with a crackdown resulting in the
death of two protesters and the arrest of 1,198 persons including women and children. The Congress
Government of the Madras State, called in paramilitary forces to quell the agitation; their involvement
resulted in the deaths of about seventy persons (by official estimates) including two policemen. Several
Tamil leaders supported the continuation of the usage of English as the official language of India. To calm
the situation, Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri gave assurances that English would continue to be
used as the official language as long the non-Hindi speaking states wanted. The riots subsided after Shastri's
assurance, as did the student agitation.
Four states - Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan[3]- have been granted the right to conduct
proceedings in their High Courts in their official language, which, for all of them, was Hindi. However, the
only non-Hindi state to seek a similar power - Tamil Nadu, which sought the right to conduct proceedings in
Tamil in its High Court - had its application rejected by the central government earlier, which said it was
advised to do so by the Supreme Court.[4] In 2006, the law ministry said that it would not object to Tamil
Nadu state's desire to conduct Madras High Court proceedings in Tamil.[5][6][7][8][9] In 2010, the Chief
Justice of the Madras High Court allowed lawyers to argue cases in Tamil...[10]

Basis in pre-modern literature

Although nationalism itself is a modern phenomenon, the expression of linguistic identity found in the
modern Pure Tamil movement has pre-modern antecedents, in a "loyalty to Tamil" (as opposed to Sanskrit)
visible in ancient Sangam literature.[11] The poems of Sangam literature imply a consciousness of
independence or separateness from neighbouring regions.[12] Similarly, Silappadhikaaram, a post-Sangam
epic, posits a cultural integrity for the entire Tamil region[13] and has been interpreted by Parthasarathy as
presenting "an expansive vision of the Tamil imperium" which "speaks for all Tamils."[14] Subrahmanian sees
in the epic the first expression of Tamil nationalism,[13] while Parthasarathy says that the epic shows "the
beginnings of Tamil separatism."[15]
Medieval Tamil texts also demonstrate features of modern Tamil linguistic purism, most notably the claim of
parity of status with Sanskrit which was traditionally seen in the rest of the Indian subcontinent as being a
prestigious, trans-local language. Texts on prosody and poetics such as the 10th century
Yaapparungalakkaarihai and the 11th century Veerasoazhiyam, for example, treat Tamil as the equal of
Sanskrit in terms of literary prestige, and use the rhetorical device of describing Tamil as a beautiful young
lady and as a pure, divine language[16] both of which are also central in modern Tamil nationalism.[17]
Vaishnavite[18] and Shaivite[19] commentators took the claim of divinity one step further, claiming for Tamil
a liturgical status, and seeking to endow Tamil texts with the status of a "fifth Veda."[20] Vaishnavite
commentators such as Nanjiyar went one step further, declaring that people who were not Tamil lamented
the fact that they were not born in a place where such a wonderful language was spoken.[21] This trend was
not universal, and there were also authors who sought to argue and work against Tamil distinctiveness

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through, amongst other things, Sanskritisation.[22]

Dravidian identity
Tamil nationalism in Tamil Nadu developed a Dravidian identity (as
opposed to a Tamil identity distinct from other Dravidian-speaking
peoples). "Dravidian nationalism" in this sense comprises the four
major ethno-linguistic groups in South India. This idea was
popularized during the 1930s to 1950s by a series of small
movements and organizations that contended that the South Indians
(Dravidians) formed a racial and a cultural entity that was different
from the north Indians.
This particular moment claimed that the Brahmins were originally
from the north and they imposed their language, Sanskrit, religion
and heritage on the southern people. A new morphed ideology of the
Dravidian nationalism gained momentum within the Tamil speakers
during the 1930 and 1950.
Tamil Nationalism was thus based on three ideologies: dismantling of
Brahmin hegemony; revitalization of the "Pure Tamil Language" and
An official signboard in Tamil Nadu,
social reform by abolition of existing caste systems, religious
which praises the Tamil language
practices and recasting women's equal position in the society. By the
late 1960s, the political parties who were espousing Dravidian
ideologies gained power within the state of Tamil Nadu.[23] Subsequently the Nationalist ideologies lead to
the argument by Tamil leaders that, at minimal, that Tamils must have self-determination or, at maximum,
secession from India[24]
Dravidian nationalism has given rise to various doctrines of national mysticism and fanciful anachronism,
such as Thaevanaeyap Paavaanar's Kumari Kandam, a continent spanning the Indian Ocean, submerged in
16,000 BC, or an "original Veda" composed by Mamuni Mayan some 10,000 years ago, Devaneya Pavanar's
Homo Dravida of 200,000 BC, his Kumari Kandam civilization of 50,000 BC, his "Second Tamil Sangam"
under a Pandyan king in 6097 BC, etc.

Political parties
Since the 1969 election victory of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) under C. N. Annadurai, Tamil
nationalism has been a permanent feature of the government of Tamil Nadu. After the Tamil people achieved
self-determination the claim for secession became weaker with most mainstream political parties, except a
fringe few, are committed to development of Tamil Nadu within a united India. Most major Tamil Nadu
regional parties such as DMK, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), Pattali Makkal
Katchi (PMK) and Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) frequently participate as coalition
partners of other pan-Indian parties in the Union Government of India at New Delhi. The inability of the
national parties of India to comprehend and capitalize on Tamil nationalism is one of the main reasons for the
lack of presence in Modern Tamil Nadu. The modern-day Tamil Nationalism have actually contributed to a
more flaccid celebration of Tamil identity and the uplift of the poor.[25]

Cross-straits nationalism

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In October 2008,
amongst an alleged build
up in shelling into the
Tamil civilian areas by
the Lankan military, with
the army moving in on
the LTTE and the navy
battling the latter's sea
patrol, Indian Tamil MPs,
including those
supporting the Singh
government in the DMK
and PMK, threatened to
resign en masse if the
Indian government did
not pressure the Lankan
government to cease
firing on civilians. In
response, to this strain of
nationalistic pressure, the
Indian government
A lightboard that readsLong Live Tamil outside a public building in Tamil Nadu.
reported it had upped the
ante on the Lankan
government to ease tensions.[26]
Tamil nationalists turn out in support of the Eelam rebels when Chennai-based The Hindu was alleged to
have been supporting the Government of Sri Lanka. Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu, N. Ram named members
of the Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam, Thamizh Thesa Pothuvudaimai Katchi,[27] some lawyers, and law college
students as responsible for incidents of vandalism at their offices.

See also
List of countries where Tamil is an official language
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism
Dravidian parties, a group of political parties in Tamil Nadu which began as a nationalist political
movement
Dravidistan
Pure Tamil

Notes
1. ^ http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2008/january/tamil_tigers011008
2. ^ *Irschick, Eugene F. (1986). Tamil revivalism in the 1930s. Madras: Cre-A. OCLC 15015416
3. ^ Language in Courts - a bridge or a barrier? (http://www.barandbench.com
/index.php?title=Language%20in%20Courts%20-%20a%20bridge%20or%20a%20barrier?&page=brief&
id=805&gn=0)
4. ^ Special Correspondent (12 March 2007), "Karunanidhi stands firm on Tamil in High Court"

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(http://www.hindu.com/2007/03/12/stories/2007031205180100.htm), The Hindu (Chennai, India): 1.

5. ^ The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Thanjavur News : No objection to Tamil as court language: A.P. Shah
(http://www.hindu.com/2006/12/03/stories/2006120306220800.htm)
6. ^ Silobreaker: Make Tamil the language of Madras High Court: Karu (http://www.silobreaker.com
/DocumentReader.aspx?Item=5_848171789)
7. ^ The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Karunanidhi hopeful of Centres announcement (http://www.hindu.com
/2008/04/21/stories/2008042159970800.htm)
8. ^ indianexpress.com (http://www.indianexpress.com/iep/sunday/story/299161.html)
9. ^ Tamil Nadu government press release (http://www.tn.gov.in/pressrelease/archives/pr2007/pr110307
/pr110307_45.pdf)
10. ^ "Advocate argues in Tamil in High Court" (http://newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/article443474.ece).
The New Indian Express. 23 June 2010. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
11. ^ Steever 1987, p. 355
12. ^ Abraham 2003, pp. 211, 217
13. ^ a b Subrahmanian 1981, pp. 2324
14. ^ Parthasarathy 1993, pp. 12
15. ^ Parthasarathy 1993, p. 344
16. ^ Monius 2000, pp. 1213
17. ^ Ramaswamy 1993, pp. 690698
18. ^ Narayanan 1994, p. 26
19. ^ Peterson 1982, p. 77
20. ^ Cutler 1991, p. 770.
21. ^ Clooney 1992, pp. 205206
22. ^ Pandian 1994, p. 87; Kailasapathy 1979, p. 32
23. ^ Moorti 2004, p. 549
24. ^ Kohli 2004, pp. 285299
25. ^ Palanithurai 1989
26. ^ "India asks Lanka to protect civilians" (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/PoliticsNation
/India_asks_Lanka_to_protect_civilians/articleshow/3610295.cms). The Times Of India. 18 October 2008.
27. ^ http://www.tamizhdesiyam.blogspot.com

References
Abraham, Shinu (2003), "Chera, Chola, Pandya: Using archaeological evidence to identify the Tamil
kingdoms of early historic South India", Asian Perspectives 42 (2): 207223,
doi:10.1353/asi.2003.0031 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1353%2Fasi.2003.0031)
Clooney, Francis X. (1992), "Extending the Canon: Some Implications of a Hindu Argument about
Scripture", The Harvard Theological Review 85 (2): 197215
Cutler, Norman; Peterson, Indira Viswanathan; Pi; Carman, John; Narayanan, Vasudha; Pillan
(1991), "Tamil Bhakti in Translation", Journal of the American Oriental Society (Journal of the
American Oriental Society, Vol. 111, No. 4) 111 (4): 768775, doi:10.2307/603406 (http://dx.doi.org
/10.2307%2F603406), JSTOR 603406 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/603406)
Kailasapathy, K. (1979), "The Tamil Purist Movement: A re-evaluation", Social Scientist (Social

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Scientist, Vol. 7, No. 10) 7 (10): 2351, doi:10.2307/3516775 (http://dx.doi.org/10.2307%2F3516775),

JSTOR 3516775 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/3516775)
Kohli, A. (2004), "Federalism and the Accommodation of Ethnic Nationalism"
(http://books.google.com/?id=49O1L3LzkVgC&pg=PA281&
dq=Federalism+and+the+Accommodation+of+Ethnic+Nationalism+A+Kohli), in Amoretti, Ugo M.;
Bermeo, Nancy, Federalism and Territorial Cleavages, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press,
pp. 281299, ISBN 0-8018-7408-4, retrieved 2008-04-25
Moorti, S. (2004), "Fashioning a Cosmopolitan Tamil Identity: Game Shows, Commodities and
Cultural Identity", Media, Culture & Society 26 (4): 549567, doi:10.1177/0163443704044217
(http://dx.doi.org/10.1177%2F0163443704044217)
Narayanan, Vasudha (1994), The Vernacular Veda: Revelation, Recitation, and Ritual, Studies in
Comparative Religion, University of South Carolina Press, ISBN 0-87249-965-0
Palanithurai, G. (1989), Changing Contours of Ethnic Movement: A Case Study of the Dravidian
Movement, Annamalai University Dept. of Political Science Monograph series, No. 2,
Annamalainagar: Annamalai University
Pandian, M.S.S. (1994), "Notes on the transformation of 'Dravidian' ideology: Tamilnadu, c.
1900-1940", Social Scientist (Social Scientist, Vol. 22, No. 5/6) 22 (5/6): 84104,
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/stable/3517904)
Parthasarathy, R. (1993), The Cilappatikaram of Ilanko Atikal: An Epic of South India, New York:
Columbia University Press, ISBN 0-231-07848-X
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/10.2307%2F602864)
Subrahmanian, N. (1981), An introduction to Tamil literature, Madras: Christian Literature Society
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Categories: Tamil politics Politics of India Nationalism in India Nationalism by country or region
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