Central Institute of Classical Tamil gets a director after 12 years

The recent announcement by the Union HRD ministry on the appointment of a full-time director for the Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT), has given a rebirth to the language itself; that too when the classical status of the language is disappearing from public memory.

Union Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank had on June 1 tweeted that R. Chandrasekaran, an assistant professor at the Department of Tamil, Kangeyam Government Arts and Science College, has been appointed the institute’s first director.

I feel happy to announce that Prof. R. Chandrasekharan, has been appointed as the first Director of the Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT), Chennai. This shows our commitment to the promotion of Tamil language.@narendramodi@AmitShah @CMOTamilNadu @rajinikanth

— Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (@DrRPNishank) June 1, 2020

However, what has now created a flutter on social media is the tagging of actor Rajinikanth, besides other ministers, in the Union minister’s tweet, with many asking the reason behind this. Questions have also been raised regarding Rajinikanth’s contribution to Tamil, and the institute.

Rajinikanth’s fans claim that the actor had written a letter regarding appointing a director of the institute, sometime in the past. However, many see it as a BJP ploy to pull the actor into their camp. Meanwhile, the actor has written a letter thanking the Union HRD minister for this appointment.

Keeping aside these discussions, The Federal tried to look into the history of the institute; how it came into existence and the many political battles that were fought to keep its uniqueness intact through all these years.

Language, equivalent to life

“Thamilukkum Amuthenru Per; Antha Thamil Inba Thamil Engal Uyirukku Ner” (Tamil is synonymous with elixir; that sweet Tamil is equivalent to our soul)

Written by poet Bharathidasan, these lines succinctly captures the idea how Tamil language has been given the highest place by the people of Tamil Nadu. But the earliest speech and text forms had Sanskritised version of Tamil usage. This was the condition at least in the 1920s.

Then came the Dravidian movement that gave importance to the language along with social justice. It started both as an anti-Brahminical and anti-Sanskrit movement. It tried hard to assert that Tamil was a language older than Sanskrit. Public speaking, literature and cinema shaped by Dravidian orators and writers gave new colour to the language.

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When the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) came to power in the late 1960s, the phrase “Engum Tamil, Ethilum Tamil” (Tamil everywhere, Tamil in everything) became a policy. The DMK implemented the two-language policy in schools, and even made Tamil a compulsory subject.

This was extended to the undergraduate courses too. The DMK gave priority to candidates who studied in Tamil medium, in government jobs. The party’s love for the language went to such an extent where if Tamil films had Tamil titles, they were given tax concessions.

First voice for classical status

But the lovers or fanatics of Tamil language were not satisfied by just claiming that their language is the oldest one. They wanted more. They wanted the world to acknowledge Tamil as a classical language. A language can be considered as classical based on its antiquity, rich and ancient written literature. According to experts, there are six classical languages in the world: Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Chinese, Tamil and Sanskrit.

The demand of terming Tamil a classical language was on the back burner for years. The demand was first raised by Parithimaar Kalaignar, a Tamil scholar whose 150th birth anniversary will be celebrated this year. Born on July 6, 1870 as V.G. Suryanarayana Sastri, he later changed his name into pure Tamil as the former one was in Sanskrit.

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Kalaignar served as a Tamil professor in the Madras Christian College. In 1901, under the aegis of Prince Pandi Thirai Thevar, Madurai Tamil Sangam, an academy for Tamil language, was established. It is also referred as the ‘fourth Tamil Sangam’. The academy used to publish a monthly magazine named ‘Senthamizh’. In its first issue, Kalaignar had written an article demanding Tamil should be given a classical language status.

Almost 17 years later, on March 18, 1918, during the Saiva Siddhantha Conference at the Pachaiyappa’s College, Chennai, pundits of the language had raised the demand of terming Tamil a classical language. On the last two days of that month, the Justice Party, during its Non-Brahmin conference, had passed a resolution that Tamil be made a classical language.

Classical status in millennium

After 1918, there was a long lull regarding this demand. Though many scholars had passed similar resolutions at several conferences, they were unable to politically pressurise the government to make an announcement in this regard.

In 1999, the then chief minister M. Karunanidhi reignited this demand. However, it was in 2004, after a change in the regime, that the Centre announced Tamil a classical language. On October 12 that year, it passed an order according classical status for Tamil. The day is celebrated as ‘Classical Language Day’ by the ClCT staff.

It is interesting to note that Tamil was the first language which was accorded the classical status in India. In the succeeding years, the Centre has given classical status to several other languages, like Sanskrit (2005), Telugu (2008), Kannada (2008), Malayalam (2013) and Odia (2014).

An institution in making

After Tamil was accorded classical status, a Centre for Excellence of Classical Tamil was established in March 2006, and functioned till May 2008 at the Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysuru. In June that year, Karunanidhi inaugurated the CICT at Triplicane.

Karunanidhi instituted the Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi Award for Classical Tamil in 2010 from his own pocket to honour eminent researchers of Tamil and its related disciplines, such as epigraphy. Asko Parpola, a renowned Finland-based Indologist, was the first recipient of the award. Years later, the institution got autonomous powers and moved to its present address at Taramani.

Surprisingly, this institution has been operating from a rented building. A total of 17 acre land was allocated at Perumbakkam in Kancheepuram district for constructing a building for the institution. The Centre had allotted ₹3 crore to construct its compound wall. The Tamil Nadu government had submitted a ₹250 crore plan for the development of the institution, including the construction of quarters for researchers. But it was not realised.

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Later, the Centre had allotted ₹24 crore to complete the construction. Quoting Tamil Development Minister ‘Ma Foi’ K. Pandiarajan, The Hindu had reported that the building is nearing completion and the Centre is yet to disburse an additional fund of ₹6.5 crore.

It is interesting to note that this is the first of its kind central institute set up for a classical language. It is fully funded by the Centre and the state has no stake in it. Besides carrying research in Tamil, the institute also provides training related to the Tamil language, besides fellowships and research grants. It also distributes awards.

Achievements and challenges

According to Prof. K. Ramasamy, the officer-in-charge of the institute when it was shifted to Chennai, the main objectives of the institute are to take the Tamil language’s antiquity and uniqueness to the world.

“Though there are other institutions like the Tamil University in Thanjavur and the International Institute for Tamil Studies in Chennai, which were initially started with broader objectives, they have shrunk locally over years. We still need deeper research in Tholkappiyam (ancient Tamil grammar text) and Sangam literature. That can be done only through this kind of a central institute. But the institute functioned well only till 2010, and after that it started losing its sheen,” he said.

When the institute was formed, it was decided that the head of the governing body of the institute should be the chief minister of Tamil Nadu. That was the major mistake and that delayed the appointment of a full-time director, said Ramasamy.

“When regimes changed at the Centre and in Tamil Nadu, due to political undercurrents, the institute did not get a permanent director. In all these years, personnel not related to Tamil were appointed directors-in-charge. The director is the one who has financial and administrative powers. But those who served as in-charge in the past were not subject experts and hence various research works were stalled. Hope this will change after the new director takes charge,” he said.

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After the BJP came to power, the expenditure towards promotion of Tamil has considerably decreased. The Kalaignar Karunanidhi Award has been stalled since 2011 as well. However, other awards of the institute, like the presidential awards continued. But in the last three years, there has been a delay in giving out these awards.

In 2017, the Centre had planned to merge this institution with the Tiruvarur Central University. But after opposition from various political parties, it had given up on the proposal.

“The immediate challenge before the new director is to get funding. Around ₹12 lakh per month is being spent for the building’s rent alone. Since construction of the new building is nearing completion, they can shift there and save a lot of money. With that money, it can engage scholars for new research projects,” said Villupuram Lok Sabha MP D. Ravikumar, who consistently fought in the Parliament for appointing a director for the institute.

The new director himself is a recipient of the institute’s award. So it is expected that he will speed up the process of distributing the awards hitherto stalled, said Ravikumar.

More controversies

The director’s appointment has not been left out of controversies. Some scholars and political parties had alleged that rules pertaining to the selection process were flouted.

On being asked about it, Chandrasekaran, the new director, told The Federal that he is not willing to comment on these allegations.

“A team constituting of IAS officers had interviewed me. After seeing my qualifications and experiences, they had selected me. I will take charge within a week’s time. First, I need to absorb the ground reality about what’s happening in the institute. Then I will act accordingly,” he said.