An American's Point of View (about Tamil)

Gerald

TAMIL TRIBUNE, June 2002 (ID.2002-06-01)

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I am a non-Tamil American with a long-standing interest in Tamil culture. I found your online magazine today while web-surfing. I am visiting Tamil Nadu soon for three weeks and I am now studying Tamil rather intensely in preparation for that trip.

Your articles are very well written and informative. For example, although I was aware of Tamilnadu's opposition to Hindi, I had never heard of the events of 1965 where well over a hundred people were killed. I consider myself far more knowledgeable about the region than the average American (many of whom seem to think the sole language of India is "Indian" or "Hindu").

Unfortunately, many modern nation-states are indeed artificial entities cobbled together as a result of past imperialism. Britain bears a large responsibility in this regard, not only in India but also in many other places around the world. I hope the Tamil people are able to maintain their language and unique literary tradition. As many Native American cultures have sadly discovered here in North America, once a language is lost, it isn't long before the culture as a whole is threatened as well.

FI020530    2002-a1d

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