Look at what a Tamil Professor from the University of California, Berkeley has to say about Tamil Language. The interesting part is that he’s not a Tamilian, he’s a white guy by the name of George L. Hart. He holds a Tamil Chair at that institution.

Statement on the Status of Tamil as a Classical Language

Professor Maraimalai has asked me to write regarding the position of Tamil as a classical language, and I am delighted to respond to his request.

I have been a Professor of Tamil at the University of California, Berkeley, since 1975 and am currently holder of the Tamil Chair at that institution. My degree, which I received in 1970, is in Sanskrit, from Harvard, and my first employment was as a Sanskrit professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1969. Besides Tamil and Sanskrit, I know the classical languages of Latin and Greek and have read extensively in their literatures in the original. I am also well-acquainted with comparative linguistics and the literatures of modern Europe (I know Russian, German, and French and have read extensively in those languages) as well as the literatures of modern India, which, with the exception of Tamil and some Malayalam, I have read in translation. I have spent much time discussing Telugu literature and its tradition with V. Narayanarao, one of the greatest living Telugu scholars, and so I know that tradition especially well. As a long-standing member of a South Asian Studies department, I have also been exposed to the richness of both Hindi literature, and I have read in detail about Mahadevi Varma, Tulsi, and Kabir.

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Lately there were massive rallies organized in Malaysia by HINDRAF, BERSIH and SUAKAM, which somehow resulted the political tsunami in Malaysia on the recent election. Therefore, apart from the neighboring country, I thought that Malaysia is the only country facing with these types of dilemma. However, sad to know that Singaporean’s are also facing some setbacks.

About 20 people staged a protest outside parliament house in Singapore wearing red t-shirt that said “Tak Boleh Tahan” which means “Can’t Stand Anymore” with price hike. They were holding placards and chanting slogans decrying the rising cost of living in Singapore.

Among the protesters were several Singapore’s opposition Party members. As a result, they were arrested after a tense standoff with police on Saturday for their peaceful protest outside the city-state’s parliament house. This is a rare assembly and a permit is required if there are more then five people are participating.

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Dear HINDRAF supporters,

22nd March marks 100 days of the draconian arrest and detention of our brothers under the Internal Security Act.

In conjunction of this I invite HINDRAF supporters to organize nationwide forums on the 22nd March and at least 100 yagams (fire rituals) throughout the country.

Please organise the forums in public halls and seek/apply police permits early. You could invite the newly elected MP’s/ State assemblymen/ ex ISA detainees/lawyers to talk on the cruelty of ISA detentions.

A representative of HINDRAF could speak on the continued struggle of HINDRAF and our commitments for the protection of Minority Rights. At the end of the Forums kindly release 5 pigeons to mark the quest for freedom of the 5.

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The state government is just establishing themselves to get to know their work scopes. They have not even gone to the grounds and roots yet. I bet they must have many things to be done. The senior or experience person should instead help them to be established. UMNO la, who else…It is still tolerable if they cannot help our fresh men’s out there to get establish but don’t show your color la. Please do not repudiate them. Not even a week after a humiliating defeat, UMNO has rallied a protest. It is infamy to listen that the Penang Umno secretary Azhar Ibrahim led the protest. Did anyone from the new state lineup mentioned that they are going to sideline the Malays? The state government reps only mentioned that they are going to abolish the New Economic Policy or NEP, and why that makes them to protest. I have many Malay friends and they welcome the new government…it only takes UMNO to act like this…maybe because they cannot practice cronyisms anymore. Be more mature on your demand next time.

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Top STPM and MUET 2007 scores posing with their Award of Honor from Malaysian Examinations Council. They are not normal as us. I will call them as super beings. The girl on the left is a Tamil Girl. The Sikh youth on the right is Arvinder Singh of Selayang. They made it through defeating the odds, managed to be champions not only of themselves, but also as a whole of entire community. I have the guts to say that they are the role model of our younger generation. They can effortlessly be positioned better than many of those others who assert themselves as being ’sidelined’ and not scoring in their studies.