The recent controversial treatment of the First Tamil Naadu State wide prize

[Guest guest]

Sri:

 

Adiyen Namaskaram to all who participated in this discussion of

The recent controversial treatment of the First Tamil Naadu State ranking.

There is no second thought about Kum.Kaavya to be appreciated,honured

and encoraged for her extrordinary achivement.

We all forget one thing.

How many of our children living abroad or in north india can boast of

speakingand writing in our mother tongue i.e Tamil.Ihave seen children

coming to visit on holidays not able to converse freeli with their

grand mothers,aunties(be it chithies,atahi.They lose the closness with

elder genration which we enjoyed,They get bored in couple of days and

want to go back.

My job is such that makes me travel all around India.I have seen

people from North India,Andhra,Kerala and Karnataka never come across

a child who could not talk in their native language even they stayed

in abroad or out of their respective state.This how they are broughy

up and strictly they converse in thier own lanuage in the house.

It is only we the Tamilians feel ashamed to converse in our own mother

tongue.

 

Imay have hurt some asthikas feelings.But this is my Athangam which i

expressed in this group.

Dasan

desikan

 

Oppiliappan, "gopan" <yennappan wrote:

>

> SrI:

>

> Dear Sri Singapiran :

>

> Many thanks for your indication of interest to participate in

> assembling some funds to reconize the Top Rank student

> Kumari Kaavya in presence of Srimath Azhagiya Singar

> at MdhurAnthakam in the near future . She is a student of

> the Oriental School of West Mambalam founded by

> HH Srimath DevanArviLAgam Jeeyar of Ahobila Matam .

>

> Few aasthikAs shocked by the cruelty of the Tamil Naadu

> Government have come forward to recognize this brilliant student

> outside that Government .

>

> You and others interested are welcome to mark the checks

> to "Sri Ahobila Mutt" and send it to me for forwarding them to

> Chennai for the presentatation ceremony. Overseas sishyAs can send

> your checks ranging from $25 to $100 to me at :

> V.Sadagopan

> Apt 6B-1 , Scarborough Manor

> P.O Box 307

> Scarborough , NY 10510

>

> Those in India , who wish to support this cause can forward your

> checks to : Sri Karyam Swamy , Sri Ahobila Muth

> 30 Venkatesa Agraharam

> Mylapore , Chennai 600 004

>

> Please make a note in your check that it is for

> the Prize for Kumari Kaavya .

>

> Please send e-mail to me for tracking these contributions

> sent to Chennai .

>

> We should have no difficulty in raising 20,000 Rs for

> the awards to the REAL 1st Rank and the 2nd Rank Students

> and if it is deemed necessary , their teachers as well .

>

> We will take the high road and set an example .

>

> NamO Sri NrusimhAya ,

> V.Sadagopan

>

>

> Thank you all

>

>

>

> You are most welcome to send a check marked to

> Sri Ahobila Mutt

>

>

> -

> "Parimukan Singapiran" <hayamal

> <Oppiliappan>

> Friday, June 02, 2006 9:09 PM

> RE: The recent controversial treatment of the

First

> Tamil Naadu State wide prize winner : Kumari Kaavya

>

>

> > Respected Swamin,

> >

> > I would like to contribute. Can you please send the address in the US

> > ?Regards

> >

> >

> > Oppiliappan; Ramanujamission;

> > saranagathi; Tiruvenkatam;

> > desikasampradaya; ;

> > acharya ; Parakalamatham:

> > yennappan: Fri, 2 Jun 2006 13:25:11 -0400

> > The recent controversial treatment of the First

Tamil Naadu

> > State wide prize winner : Kumari KaavyaSrI:Dear Fair Minded

AasthikAs with

> > equal reverence for Senthamizh (Agasthya BhAshai) and Deva BhAshaiof

> > Sanskrit :We had a lot of exchanges on this topic recently about the

> > deliberate and mischeivous act of the TN Govt , which came into

political

> > power and began to settle old scores rightaway . This "US

versusTHEM "

> > attitude is deplorable for a state that wants to enter the

modernage of

> > Electronics and Engineering .By an imperial and unfair edict , the

new

> > government has reversed the facts on field about Kumari Kaavyaa

of the

> > Oriental School , West Maambalam , who had earned the accolade of

being

> > the Topper ( Score of 1186 out of 1200Marks) . The Government

committed

> > to setttle scores with the opposition and lifted the second ranker

, Sri

> > Bharath by declaring him to be the first prizewinner because he chose

> > Tamil Medium . His score is 1180/1200 . I am told that Sri Bharath

is not

> > very happy about this undeserved & unearned recognition .Kumari

Kaavya

> > seems to be gracious about this mistreatment by the local

government ,

> > which has years of well honed policy of abusing the rights of

citizens for

> > amassing political power and distributing largesse to its inner

circle

> > .The concerned Members of our groups have made number of suggestions

> > ranging from legal actions ( petitioning the Supreme court ) to

writing as

> > a group to the President of India to right the wrong . They

alsosuggested

> > an active involvement of the MatAdhipathis thru protests .Sri Krishna

> > Moorthy has volunteered to raise some funds to recognize Kumaari

Kaavya to

> > undo somewhat the wrong things done .After consultations in India

, a plan

> > of action has been developed for your consideration recognizing

the fact

> > that (1) Tamil Naadu State's political philosophy is predictable

and they

> > will not budge fromtheir avowed position of being unfair (2) The

Central

> > Government is weak and will not do anything against a state , whose

> > support they need (3) Education is the area reserved for the

States and

> > the states can do whatever they want as long as their power base

is in

> > tact (4) The Mataadhipathisare already in a constrained

situation and

> > they find themselves invery sensitive areas to operate with freedom .

> > Their main worries areto serve their disciples and to provide

spiritual

> > guidance .They certainly do not relish the prospect of entering

the dirty

> > world of politicsand fight with corrupt politicians .Against this

> > background , there is an actio plan . The highlights of this plan

is to

> > recognize KumAri Kaavya by the interested citizens in India and

overseas

> > with a purse to recognize her extraordinary talent and achievement

and

> > encourage her to go forward to put the talent to use thru the

pursuit of

> > higher education . Additional suggestions are : (1) We will take

the high

> > road and honor the second topper , Sri Bharat at the same function to

> > demonsratethat we have no partiality of one or the other languages

, since

> > Tamil and Sanskrit are like the two eyes for our culture (2) we will

> > alsorecognize the appropriate teachers of Kumari Kaavyaa and Sri

Bahrath

> > as well , if they wish to be honored for TRAININGsuch outstanding

students

> > . The estimated expenses for the awards to be conducted at the

Oriental

> > School , West Mambalam are20,000 Rs(~500$) .The amount can be made

Tax

> > free by sending the award funds through Sri Malolan Educational

Trust (

> > Registered 80GHolder ) . We can also just honor Kumari Kaavyaa and

give

> > herthe total proceeds . There are thus these two options . Sri

Krishna

> > Moorthyof Chennai can coordinate the assembly of funds from

Indiaand I

> > will take care of the funds donated by Overseas lovers ofSanskrit

and our

> > ubhaya VedAntham culture that celebrates AzhwAr's AruLiccheyalhaLs

and

> > Vedams/Upanishads/Aagamams.It will be my pleasure to make all the

other

> > relevant arrangements including the award ceremony in cooperation

with my

> > counterpartsin India . May I request you to review these

> > recommendations and send me private notes about your wish to join

in this

> > initativeto honor Kumari Kaavya for her achievements ? My e-mail is

> > :pvaradhan Dr.V.Sadagopan President , Networked Multimedia

> > Services

[Guest guest]

Oppiliappan, "csdesikan" <csdesikan

wrote:

> Adiyen Namaskaram to all who participated in this discussion of

> The recent controversial treatment of the First Tamil Naadu State

ranking.> There is no second thought about Kum.Kaavya to be

appreciated,honured and encoraged for her extrordinary achivement.

> We all forget one thing.> How many of our children living abroad

or in north india can boast of> speakingand writing in our mother

tongue i.e Tamil.Ihave seen children> coming to visit on holidays

not able to converse freeli with their> grand mothers,aunties(be it

chithies,atahi.They lose the closness with> elder genration which we

enjoyed,They get bored in couple of days and> want to go back.

> My job is such that makes me travel all around India.I have seen

> people from North India,Andhra,Kerala and Karnataka never come

across> a child who could not talk in their native language even

they stayed> in abroad or out of their respective state.This how

they are broughy> up and strictly they converse in thier own lanuage

in the house.> It is only we the Tamilians feel ashamed to converse

in our own mother> tongue.

>

> Imay have hurt some asthikas feelings.But this is my Athangam

which i> expressed in this group.

> Dasan

> desikan

 

*************

Dear SwAminah:,

 

Well spoken and courageously so! I too offer my congratulations to

Kum.Kaavya who deserves all the congratulatory support about to be

showered on her from all the SriVaishnava NRIs and PIOs the world

over, thanks to efforts of this cyber-list and others. But I would

like to add to and second devarir's very pertinent comments above

with a few more questions of my own which I venture to ask in this

forum:

 

(1) When it is unable to encourage even its own young children to

speak/write in the mother-tongue, Tamil, how is the Tamilian

SriVaishnava community at large going to promote the cause of the

Sanskrit language ("dEva-bhAsha" or "God-tongue") amongst its

fellowmen?

 

(2) How many of our children in India who take up Sanskrit

as "second language" in school do so out of genuine interest and

willingness? I take the example of many of the youngsters within my

own extended family. When I queried and complimented them on their

having chosen Sanskrit as second-language, they just shrugged it off

casually and then told me in rather hushed, conspiratorial

tones "Uncle, the real reason why I chose Sanskrit is because the

Board syllabus is relatively far easier than Tamil or Hindi and in

the final Board Exam I will stand a better chance to score marks.

That's all! Once I finish school, if I have to choose once again a

second-language to study, I'd rather choose French, German or

Spanish. That way I'll better my career-prospects in a way I know

Sanskrit never can".

 

Now what is one to make of such crass attitudes prevailing amongst

our own young ones in our so-called "Sanskrit-loving" brahmin

SriVaishnava community?

 

(3) The SriVaishnava diaspora worldwide is quite large. In the USA,

the SriVaishnava community is quite well-off and influential. What

have they done to promote the study of Sanskrit amongst their own

young in the USA? How many first and second generation American SVs

have taken up Sanskrit language as a secondary field of study in

their undergraduate programs? How many senior SV US-citizens who

have the means and willingness to do so have created faculty,

scholarships, funds or Chairs for Sanskrit studies in prestigious US

Universities such as, say, Harvard, Yale, Princeton or Berkeley or

even in second-rung Universities there?

 

(4) In SriVaishnava temples in India, how many "vEda pArAyANakars"

are found today? What is the kind of support they get? What is the

treatment meted out to them today?

 

(5) In Madras University, how financially strong and resourced is

the Department of Sanskrit?

 

(6) There is a private institution called Sanskrit College in

Mylapore, Chennai (otherwise also known as Kuppaswami Iyer Memorial

Institute). It is dedicated to the promotion of Sanskrit language.

How many SriVaishnavas know about it and extend support to the

institution? How many rich NRI/PIO SVs lend support to it?

 

(7) How many SVs or Brahmins in the past 30 years have written short-

stories or modern novels in Sanskrit? WHat has the Brahmin community

or the SV community done to encourage the transformation of Sanskrit

language from being a "dead language" to a living and vibrant one?

Why should Sanskrit always be equated only with heroes of the

previous millenia like Kalidasa, Venkatanathan or Appayya Dikshitar?

Why cannot we have young modern SV poets, novelists and playwrights

writing in Sanskrit about modern day-to-day life and problems

instead of writing and re-hashing age-old themes and fossilized

worlds?

 

(8)What have contemporary SV "achAryAs", both literary and

religious, done in concrete steps to free the Sanskrit language from

the shackles of brahminical academe, punditry and pedagogy and give

it new life as a language of a cultured people with cultured minds

and cultured values?

 

On the occasion of Kum.Kaavya's felicitation back home in Chennai,

let us, SVs and brahmins alike, ponder also deeply and long on the

above questions and what answers we can collectively offer.

 

The Sanskrit language is dead! Long live Sanskrit!

 

Regards,

dAsan,

Sudarshan