Definition: Tamils- Refer only to people who have their mother tongue as Tamil. Tamil Nadu was home to Tamil people since 500 BCE. In 1969 Madras state was renamed Tamil Nadu which literally means Tamils country. It's official language Tamil has been used inscription and literature for over 2000 years now. In 2012 Tamil Nadu becomes the second largest economy of the country. The Tamils can be proud of the fact that they live in the most urbanised state of the country. With moderate cost of living and high literacy, Tamil Nadu is viewed as one of the most progressive states in India. The question that we need to answer is :
Is India doing justice to its 70 million Tamil population? Perhaps the answer may not be a straightforward yes. Although Tamil Nadu is able to fight for its rights in a federal structure, is it worth spending precious time in getting what I would term as a 'fair deal' for its Tamil population? The world has witnessed the stance of Indian Government in the last stages of war against the Sri Lankan state. It's immediate neighbour India was more or less a spectator. As soon as the Eelam Tamils reach the TN shores, they feel a sigh of relief not because they are in world's second most populated country but because they are in Tamil Nadu-the state that was formed in 1969, with the slogan 'Tamil Nadu for Tamils' and today this is seen as a reassurance by the world Tamils. Of the many issues, the prominent ones that sprouts up every now and then are TN fishermen, Cauvery water, Mullaiperiyar dam, Electricity sharing and occasionally, the Indian Governments various initiative to thrust Hindi on Tamil people in various forms.
Of course the people are also to be blamed to an extent- Non Tamils for promoting their language and Tamils for accepting them at the cost of their own language. I feel that we, as Tamils and Tamil Nadu as a state ought to focus on further development on par with leading nations of the world like Singapore, UK, to name a few. Under the Indian Governments rule, it took us 65 years to get to a point where we have something to talk about. On the other hand inter state disputes take decades to resolve and in a few cases, only the Union Government changes and nothing else.
Keeping the past in mind, and safeguarding the Tamils interest in the future, its crucial for TN to push for a constitutional amendment for a total autonomy and prevent any foreign influence in terms of imposition of language or policies. Once accomplished, the people of TN must then be sensible in electing their leaders. It may also be wise to elect the sane Government as a token of thanks giving and at the same time giving a chance to translate plans into action.
This could be done via signature campaigns, educating the Tamil citizens by providing unbiased views on autonomy, highlighting its benefits and shortcomings. Politics in TN must not be viewed as a subject to study for board exams nor an affair of the corrupted leaders but a participation from people from every walk of life to lay a foundation for a promising Tamil Nadu.
I welcome your comments, opinion and suggestion on the article.
Vignesh Raj
United Kingdom
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