On Thursday 15 July 2010 15:22:47 சிவகுமார் மா wrote: > I have had a few conversations with Amachu and know how much he fights for > the use of Tamil in many situations. It is considered illiterate, rude, > countrified to use Tamil in many places (classrooms, high end public > places, student groups). >
I have lived in Tamilnadu most of my life - I do agree that when I was in school and college in the 60s and 70s, Tamil was looked down upon. But that is no longer the situation as far as I know. Here is my experience in various places where I interact with people: 1. Ooty - you can hear tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Badagu spoken depending on who is in the group. Generally the rule followed is that if everyone in the group speaks Tamil, tamil is spoken, same rule for other languages. And if there are all mixed languages, English is spoken. This is purely out of courtesy. 2. Ootacamund golf club (where previously 'Dogs and Indians' were not allowed). Again the major language spoken is Tamil - followed by Telugu, Kannada, Badagu and even several varieties of North Indian languages - only when there is a mixed group is english spoken. 3. AU-KBC centre in Anna University - again mainly Tamil, unless there is a mixed group 4. ILUGC meets - same rule, Tamil, unless there is a mixed group. this same policy is followed in Karnataka also - for example, in Mangalore, you have the major languages as Tulu and Konkani, but if Kannada speakers are there, we often switch to Kannada and even to English if they do not speak the other languages. And I have seen the same thing in Mumbai. The only place where I have seen this rule not followed is in Delhi where some people think that if you do not speak hindi you are not an Indian and insist on speaking in Hindi whether you like it or not. I have not been in any forum in Tamilnadu where speaking in Tamil is frowned upon - my daughter is a so called 'elite', 'convent' college in Coimbatore - and everyone from the Principal to the Warden and downwards only spoke to us in Tamil when we went for admission. This kind of tolerance for language and respect for others is what makes our country great - so let us follow the rule. -- regards kg http://lawgon.livejournal.com/ _______________________________________________ ILUGC Mailing List: http://www.ae.iitm.ac.in/mailman/listinfo/ilugc
