GROUNDWORK: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary K. Anbazhagan laying the foundation for a building of the Thalainagar Thamizh Sangam at Vandalur near Chennai on Sunday. Pattali Makkal Katchi founder S. Ramadoss looks on. — Photo: A. Mu ralitharan

CHENNAI: Speakers at a function held at Vandalur near here on Sunday called for greater unity among Tamil scholars to increase interest among the youth in the language and culture.

Laying the foundation for the Thalainagar Thamizh Sangam building at Sakthi Nagar, opposite the Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary K. Anbazhagan, blamed Tamil teachers for failing to create an interest in the language among students. "Of late, the teachers seem to be teaching only for the sake of a job in return for monthly wages and have failed miserably to kindle interest among the students in the language."

Pointing out that even Thanthai Periyar had stated that it was difficult to unite Tamil scholars, he hoped that the Sangam would be able to bring all the scholars, teachers and researchers together in the interest of Tamil.

Founder of Pattali Makkal Katchi S. Ramadoss said every district should have a similar Sangam. The Government should provide land and other necessary support.

"The present building should have actually come up in the city limits. We hope to be in a position to provide land to the Sangam in three months in Chennai."

He said his party planned to publish a newspaper and launch a television channel devoid of film-based programmes to nurture Tamil language.

V. Aanai Muthu of the Marxist Periyar Socialist Party said in schools and colleges, students were not being taught Tirukkural extensively as they ought to be. Faulting scholars and educationists for not making any attempt to teach Kural from the school level, Mr. Muthu regretted that successive governments in the past four decades did not have the vision to take the teachings and principles of Tirukkural to either the students or the masses.

Dalit Panthers of India general secretary Thol. Thirumavalavan stressed the importance of infrastructure for every organisation to help it spread the message to the masses.

According to founder and general secretary of Thalainagar Thamizh Sangam T. Sundararajan, the organisation was almost 30 years old.

The Sangam strove for, among other things, increasing the number of schools where the medium of instruction was in Tamil.

Though they had a couple of offices in the city, they decided to have their own building at Vandalur.

Later in the day, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary Vaiko, exhorted youth to read more of Tamil literature. Speaking at the function, he said when the youth were exposed to the great literary works, it would help them have a proper understanding of Tamil culture. The youth would be able to nurture Tamil culture and protect it from "degenerative forces."

He hoped the Sangam would be able to work towards this by equipping its library with precious pieces of Tamil literature. In keeping with the times, the library should be digitised. Mr. Vaiko, while announcing that his party would donate Rs. 50,000 for construction of the building, said such organisations should be strong and free from political affiliations. He hoped that Sangam and similar organisations would strive towards getting recognition for Tamil in the United Nations.

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