NANDHIVARMAN OPINES

NAGARATHINAM KRISHNA is this century’s Kalki, who weaves history through his novels. He met me on August 18 th of 2009 in my residence.His novel Neelak Kadal spoke on Tamil slaves taken away from French India shattering the myth about French equality-liberty-fraternity concept .I will write in Surya Kathir, bi-monthly column  with due permission from Editor Rao, on Tamils taken to plantations of colonies, about whom only one Great Bard Bharathiar recorded in his poems. Nagarathinam Krishna’s letter on my book is given below, which gives the inspiration to go ahead with my new book ” In search of Tamil civilization beneath oceans “. Publishers wont publish my books, yet it will be uploaded in net.. N.Nandhivarman

அன்பிற்குரிய திரு. நந்திவர்மன் அவர்கட்கு வணக்கங்கள்!
 இக்கடிதம் தங்கள் தமிழர் நாகரீகம் என்ற ஆங்கில நூல்குறித்தது.

நூலை வாசித்தபோது, தமிழரென சொல்லிக்கொள்ளும் ஒவ்வொருவரிடமும் கைவசமிருக்கவேண்டிய ஆவணமென புரிந்தது. தங்கள் எழுத்தும் சொற்களும் இன உணர்வின்பாற்பட்டவை, போற்றுதலுக்குரியவை. எனினும் சொல்லவந்த செய்திகளை தெளிவாக முன் வைக்கிறீர்கள். சொந்த மொழி, சொந்த இனமென்ற மயக்கங்களில்லை, போதையில்லை. சொல்வது உண்மையென்பதால் முன்னெடுத்துச் செல்லும் கருத்துக்களில் வீச்சும், பாய்ச்சலும், ஏராளம்.
 
சிந்துவெளி குறித்த தேசிய மாநாட்டில் வாசிக்கபட்ட ஆய்வுக் கட்டுரை  ஓர் அரிதான கட்டுரை, பல அரிய தகவல்களைக் கொண்டது. பழமைவாய்ந்த அப்பண்பாடும் மொழியும் திராவிடருக்குச் சொந்தமென பெருமிதத்தோடு சொல்லவந்த நீங்கள் அதற்கு உரிய சான்றுகளையும் அக்கறையுடன் சேகரித்து கட்டுரையை உருவாக்கியிருக்கிறீர்கள். உலகின் பல்வேறு பகுதிகளைச் சேர்ந்த கல்வியாளர்களின் ஆய்வுமுடிவுகளை துணைசேர்த்திருப்பது கட்டுரைக்கு வலு சேர்க்கிறது. நீங்கள் இந்தியன் எக்ஸ்பிரஸ் ஆங்கில நாட்டிற்காக எழுதியதென்ற குறிப்புடன் கூடிய பத்திகளும் பொதுவாகப் பல அரிதானத் தகவல்களைத் தருகின்றன. கவனத்துடன் ஆர்வத்துடனும் இரண்டாவது முறையாக வாசித்தேன்.  முதல்முறை வாசித்து முடித்தபோதே உங்களுக்கு எழுத உட்கார்ந்து, பாராட்டு என்பது சடங்காக முடிந்துவிடக்கூடாது, வாசிப்பு அனுபங்களை பகிர்ந்துகொள்வதே சரியாதாக இருக்குமெனத் தள்ளிவைத்தேன். மீண்டும் இரண்டாவது முறையாக வாசித்தபோது எனக்கு மிக்க மகிழ்ச்சி. இப்படியொரு நூலை எழுதியமைக்கும் அதை எனக்குப் பரிசாக அளித்தமைக்கும் மிக்க நன்றி. இல்லையெனில் படிப்பதற்கான வாய்ப்புக் கிடைத்திருக்காது. தமிழ் நாட்டில் நல்ல நூல்களை சந்தைப்படுத்துபவர்கள் மிகவும் குறைவென்பதை நீங்கள் அறிவீர்கள். ஆக மீண்டும் நன்றிகள்.
 
தொகுப்பிலுள்ள கட்டுரைகளை ஆர்வத்துடன் வாசிக்க முடிந்தது. ஒரு சில கட்டுரைகளை கூடுதல் ஆர்வத்துடன் வாசித்தேன்.
 
பிரெஞ்சு மொழியோடு தமிழருக்கான உறவுகள்  என்ற கட்டுரை நான் விருப்பிவாசிக்க என்ன காரணமென விளக்கவேண்டியதில்லை. ஞானு தியாகு, தாவீது அன்னுசாமி போன்றவர்களின் உழைப்பை அறிவோம். அவர்கள் மாத்திரமல்ல புதுச்சேரியில் அண்மையில் மறைந்த திருமுருகனார் உழைப்பைக்கும் உரிய மரியாதையை புதுவை மக்கள் அளிக்கவில்லை, இப்படி அங்கே இன்னமும் நிறையபேர் இருக்கிறார்கள். அதுபோலவே தேசிகப் பிள்ளையின் உழைப்பு. மிகப்பெரிய தமிழரிஞரை உரியவகையில் அங்கீகரிக்கவில்லை என்ற வருத்தம் எனக்குண்டு, உங்கள் கட்டுரை எனக்கு ஆறுதலாக இருந்தது.
 
நாராணகுருவை பற்றிய கட்டுரையும் பல புதிய தகவல்களை எனக்களித்தது; அவர் தமிழ் நாட்டில் தேசாந்திரியாகத் திரிந்தார் என்பதை அறிந்தவன்; ஆனால் அவரிடமுள்ள தமிழ் மொழி அறிவும் ஆற்றலுடன் தமிழில் கவிதைகள் எழுதகூடியவரென்பதும், புதுச்சேரி வேதபுரீஸ்வரர் குறித்து அவர் எழுதிய தேவாரப் பதிகங்கள் எனற நூலைப் பற்றிய தகவல்களும் எனக்குப் புதியவை. சைவ சித்தாந்தத்தின் கோட்டை என்ற தலைப்பின் கீழ் எழுதிய கட்டுரையிலும் பொருள்பொதிந்த தகவல்கள் ஏராளமாக இருந்தன. அப்போதே ஜார்ஜ் பூரே என்ற பிரெஞ்சுக்காரர் நம்மவர்கள் தாய்மொழியில் பற்றற்றவர்களாக இருப்பதைச் சுட்டிக்காட்டி வருந்தியதாக நீங்கள் தெரிவித்திருந்த செய்தி யோசிக்க வைத்தது.
 
செஞ்சியின் பெருமை,  தொகுப்பிலுள்ள கட்டுரைகளில் என்னை மிகவும் ஈர்த்ததென்று சொல்லவேண்டும், மிக நுணுக்கமான அரிதான தகவல்களைக் கொண்டு எழுதப்பட்டிருந்தது. செஞ்சியையும் தேசிங்கு ராஜனையும் மையமாக வைத்து ஒரு புனைவினை எழுதுவதென முடிவெடுத்திருக்கிறேன். அம்முடிவு உங்கள் கட்டுரை அளித்துள்ள தூண்டுதல்.
 
சிற்பங்கள் குறியீடுகள் குறித்த பத்தி, புதுச்சேரி வாழ் பிரெஞ்சு குடிமகன்கள் அவர்களுக்கான பிரநிதித்துவ தேர்தல் பற்றிய செய்திகள் தாங்கிய பத்தி, நாகர்களுக்கும் திராவிடர்களுக்குமுள்ள வரலாற்று இணக்கம் குறித்த பத்தி என சிறப்பித்து சொல்ல நிறைய இருக்கின்றன.
 
பநேரங்களில் தமிழினம் இன உணர்வு மழுங்கிவிட்டதே என நினைப்பதுண்டு, இத்தொகுப்பில் மறைந்த புதுச்சேரி திராவிடக் கழகத் தலைவரின் திருமகன் தமிழ்மணியுடைய  மொழியுணர்வை பாராட்டி இருப்பீர்கள். தொகுப்பை வாசித்தபோது கடைசிவரை உங்களுடைய இன உணர்வின் மூச்சினை உணரமுடிந்தது. உங்களைப்போல ஒன்றிரண்டுபேர் இருந்தால்கூட போதும் தமிழும் தமிழனும் கடைத்தேறுவார்கள். 
 
அன்புடன்
நாகரத்தினம் கிருஷ்ணா
 
 

Japanese Tamil scholar Susumu Ohno passes away

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Prof. Susumu Ohno (23.08.1919 - 14.07.2008)

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Professor Susumu Ohno, distinguished scholar of Japanese linguistics, known for his phenomenal research of linking the origins of Japanese language with Tamil, passed away on Monday in Tokyo at the age of 89, reported The Japan Times. He was working on the relationship between Tamil and Japanese languages for the last 30 years and even last year came out with a publication, reasserting to his theories. A 1999 book of him on Japanese language sold nearly 2 million copies. Born on 23rd August 1919 and initiated into linguistics in the late 1930s at the Tokyo University, his academic contributions date back to the times of the Second World War. He later became a Professor at the Gakushuin University of Tokyo.Ohno�s researches included the study of language found in the earliest poetry of Japan, compiled in the 8th century, and in an epic-novel of 11th century. His monumental publications dealt with the origins, practice and usage of the Japanese language.

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In the late 1970s he came out with his first writings on the affinities between Tamil and Japanese. He was not the first to come out with such a study, but he became the central figure in theorizing it.Ohno�s Tamil-Japanese studies didn�t just stop at linguistics: comparing sounds, words, grammar, and literature, but involved a wider area covering archaeology, folklore etc. It is well known that Chinese and Japanese are fundamentally different languages despite their geographical proximity. Linguists, account to this difference by speculating maritime origins for the Japanese language.

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Prof. Ohno, while accepting a Polynesian base for the Japanese language in prehistoric times, put forwarded the theory of the influence of Dravidian languages, especially Tamil shaping Japanese, along with the introduction of agriculture in Japan in the Yayoi period between 500 BCE and 300 CE. He envisaged maritime contacts behind such developments.

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To substantiate his theories he conducted research on the comparison of the Yayoi burials of Japan with the Megalithic burials (1300 BCE � 300 CE) of South India and Sri Lanka. This study in early 1990s revealed amazing similarities in pottery, burial habits and above all in the graffiti marks between the two cultures.

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Prof. Susumu Ohno maintained a long connection with Tamil institutions and scholars. He encouraged many Japanese students to learn Tamil.Sri Lankan Tamil scholars, Prof. A. Sanmugadas and Manonmani Sanmugadas worked for a long time with Prof. Ohno and have brought out joint publications while Dr. P. Ragupathy was associated with him in the study of Yayoi burials. Encyclopedia of Languages & Linguistics refers to his Tamil-Japanese studies in the following words:

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“His search for the roots of Japanese language started in 1957. He compared Japanese with Korean, Ainu, and Austronesian languages. Unable to establish any kind of genetic kinship between them, he turned to a branch of Dravidian. Encouraged by professors Emeneau and Kothandaraman, Ohno pursued his Japanese-Tamil hypothesis in spite of withering criticism by some Japanese scholars. Commenting on it, Zvelebil (1990) said: ‘The similarities between Japanese and Dravidian cannot be regarded as mere freakish coincidence, and may indeed reflect a very deep genetic kinship…’ Ohno’s studies are trying to prove this kinship.”

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courtesy :Kalinga Tamil weekly

DID 8 PEOPLE DRIVE AUROBINDO ASHRAM SHOBARANI DAS TO COMMIT SUICIDE: CASE BEFORE HIGH COURT SEEKING TRANSFER TO OTHER STATE COURT

In the famous Kanchi Kamakoti Madathipathi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal case and J.Jayalalitha cases justice was sought in Courts outside their respective state of residence. Similarly in the suicide case of Shobaranidas [55] an inmate of Aurobindo Ashram, the two suicide notes on left by her side and posted to her son in Orissa, names 8 persons harassing her to commit suicide. This case is pending before the High Court of Madras. Journalists who had reported on daily basis the cases of the two famous persons mentioned above have failed miserably to report what happens in Court rooms, whenever this case comes up. Public who hail the Right to Information Act expect the media to inform them, whoever may be at fault.

FINAL HEARING CASES

MADRAS HIGH COURT CASE STATUS INFORMATION SYSTEM

Case Status:  Pending

Status of CRIMINAL ORIGINAL PETITION   24421 of   2006    

DEVBRATDAS Vs THE STATION HOUSE OFFICER

Petitioners Advocate: M/S.K.BIJAI SUNDAR                   

Respondent’s Advocate:  PUBLIC PROSECUTOR    

Last Listed On:  No Date Mentioned

Category:  Petition under Section 482 Cr.PC   

Shobharani Das Story

Devbrat Das, the Petitioner in the Crl. O. P.  No. 24421 of 2006 before the Madras High Court is the son of Hare Krishna Das, and the deceased Shobharani Das .His mother late Shobharani Das the deceased in the above case joined Sri Aurobindo Ashram at Pondicherry in the year 1982 and she was accepted as a permanent ashramite from the year 1992. His elder sister Swarnalata, aged 40 years also is an inmate of Sri Aurobindo Ashram since 1983.His father Harekrishna Das, has been offering voluntary services in Sri Aurobindo Ashram since 1996 and is residing in a place provided by the Ashram. Shobharani Das (55) an inmate of Sri Aurobindo Ashram at Pondicherry was found hanging under mysterious circumstances, in her room no. 43, A.B. House, at No. 33, Dr. Ambedkar Street Kuruchikuppam, Pondicherry-605 001 on 25/02/2004 leaving a suicide note in Oriya language stating that the 8 persons were the cause for her committing suicide.

Devbrat Das came from Orissa to Pondicherry for the cremation of his mother. The police had seized the suicide note of his mother and a similar note addressed to him by post, sent by his mother to Orissa.  Initially the case was registered u/s 174 of Cr.P.C. and after the seizure of the suicide notes and recording of statements the case was altered in to Sec. 306 r/w 34 of IPC.

In his petition seeking transfer of this case to any state outside of Puducherry Devbrat Das alleges that he will  not get any justice before the Courts at Pondicherry. He is permanent resident at Rourkela at Orissa, and alleges that the Pondicherry Trial Court is very hasty to conduct the trial knowing fully well that important witnesses� mother tongue being Oriya, they do not know Tamil, English or Hindi and without taking any efforts to appoint a translator the Court has fixed dates for trial, which attitude, he construe and reasonably apprehend that he will not get justice for the death of his mother from Pondicherry Courts. He suspects that he would not get fair and impartial trial for the death of his mother and there is every likelihood of the accused persons escaping from the clutches of law if the trial is allowed to take place at Pondicherry. Hence, he claims it is just and necessary to transfer the case in S.C. No. 30 of 2006 on the file of Assistant Sessions Court at Pondicherry to any other Court in Tamilnadu and pass such other or further Orders as High Court of Madras deems fit and proper in the interests of justice.

Let us await the High Court order and the media of Chennai to be free from Ashram phobia to report what happens in Court when the case is taken up.

N.Nandhivarman, General Secretary, Dravida Peravai

DUTCH PLANNED & FRENCH EXECUTED:

PONDICHERRY�S URBAN DEVELOPMENT

�N.Nandhivarman

If you go to Old Delhi you will be shocked by its irregular street pattern but in New Delhi you will appreciate the concept of planned city. In old Pondicherry you can see straight roads but in the suburban areas in post independence era all that symmetry of streets is lost. How could such a legacy be thrown to winds? There is a saying in Pondicherry. In Tamil they say �Veethi Azhagu undu, Neethi Azhagu illai�. Veethi Azhagu means beauty of the streets. Who were the people who laid down the blueprint for straight streets in Pondicherry? Some may think it is local people. Some believe it is French. � No, it is the work of the Dutch, � says Jean Deloche, Historian based at the Ecole Francaise d�Extreme Orient at Pondicherry.

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� Some Indian scholars consider that the town was built according to the principles of the ancient Hindu treatises or architecture, particularly the Shilpa Sastra. French historians, on the other hand, feel that the plan should be considered as an achievement of French mind. In fact, the Dutch plans of Pondicherry preserved at the National Archives at The Hague show that the orthogonal street pattern of the town is a creation of the Dutch. The plans of 1693 show that, in Francois Martin�s time, the streets or lanes were following an irregular pattern, without any shape or symmetry, whereas in the plans drafted in 1694, during the Dutch occupation, one finds the design of a large new town, with a very regular geometric lay out, rectangular blocks of houses, separated by straight streets, intersecting at right angles. This great urban project of the Dutch company was adopted by the French who systematically carried out the extensive straightening out of streets into a planned grid, during the first half of the 18 th century� This is how Jean Deloche summarizes the contents of his book published in 2004 with 11 figures and 6 plates. � Origins of the Urban Development of Pondicherry according to 17 th Century Dutch Plans� is a masterpiece placing truth in its right place. People must appreciate the French Institution here and the French author who did not falter in placing truth above all.

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How did Pondicherry look like in 1700 A.D. � Like an active hive developing its honeycomb, the town extended in a grid pattern along the left bank of the coastal river Uppar, to the north west of its citadel which was still no more than a small rectangular fort, Fort Barlong� This is how Professor M.Bourdart of the Lysee Francaise narrates in his book �18 th century Pondicherry �published in 1992. There is another map engraved as � Map of Pondicherry� published by Nicholas de Fer in Paris in the year 1705. There is another plan of Pondicherry of 1741, which depicts Pondicherry, a year before the arrival of Dupliex. � On this excellent plan are already shown the principal monuments of the town which was riveted to the Indian soil by the star shaped bolt of its fort, Fort Louis. The town�s appearance was to alter but little with time, at least as regards its outer contours. The fortifications would be leveled and would give place to the boulevards that today encircle the town.�

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Well there are other evidences of that hoary past. One is the watercolor map of 1750 and the other is drawing of. Le Gentil who authored �Voyage dans les mers de l�inde, and visited Pondicherry twice in 1761 and 1769.

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The Dutch evidences had thrown more light on the History of Pondicherry�s Urban Development. The Plan of the fortress and town �Poedechery� as it is currently being built on 20 th November 1694, available with Dutch Museum not only gives authentic version of the scene of those days but also spells Pudhucherri, the correct Tamil name instead of the corrupted version of Pondicherry.

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In his book �City Planning and Architecture in Pondicherry � P.Pichard thinks that the French adapted �their plan to the natural conditions of the littoral. This was possible because of the straight coast line was a very strong feature of the site and has from the beginning, determined the general orientation of the buildings and the direction of the streets, behind the dune, the low marshy lands and their outlet, running parallel to the seashore, increased this trend.�

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Ron van Oers is of the opinion that Dutch colonial settlements were built on a �Strict geometrical design to subdivide the usable area into building plots. All had a common image of being neat and well organized.� On the orthogonal street model applied in Pondicherry he says Dutch preferred this pattern since� it was symbolic of an ordered, well managed society, hierarchical but democratic, it was emblematic for the hard working god fearing Dutch Calvinists�

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�French appropriated this great design and that the extensive straightening out of the streets into a planned grid, systematically carried out by their governors in the first half of the 18 th century, was therefore the extension of the existing Dutch orthogonal pattern into the rest of the town.�� Says Historian Jean Deloche who lives in Pondicherry� A great scholar who loves Tamil lives here unknown to fellow Tamils and he humbly refuses to get photographed because he wants his works to speak for ages to come. The billion� dollar question is �If French could appropriate whatever good plans of the Dutch and beautify Pondicherry, who misled and buried such a planned legacy in the post independence era while sub urban colonies mushroomed here?� Let soul search begin.

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STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM OF LANGUAGES IN INDIA

Former Chief Minister and DMK President Dr.Kalaignar M.Karunanithi will be releasing a book on the Tamil Language struggle of 1965 written by Former Vice Chancellor of Alagappa University Dr.A.Ramasamy.

The book contains 620 pages and is priced as Rs 950. On the release day it will be sold for a special price of Rs 500. The function is on 23 rd January 2006 by 6 PM at Rani seethai Manram near Gemini Anna Flyover in Chennai.

This book also records the Pondicherry struggle led by Nandhivarman as then Student DMK leader.

All Tamils must buy the book and recall the sacrifices of the martyrs who laid their lives in detention and by self immolation for the Tamil cause.
Bharathidasan Literary Congress organises the function

Dravida Peravai

[Poet Kasi Anandan's Photo]
Nandhivarman’s New book
THAMIZHAR NADUM THANI PANPAADUM
Mithra Arts & Creations Chennai run by Ealam novelist Espo is publishing my book on Tamil Culture. The General Secretary of MDMK Thiru.Vaiko had written the forward. The Ealam Poet Laurette Kasi.Anandan had written an introductory poem.

This book which speaks about the continent of Kumari and on scientific Tamil on many relevent current topics of concern for all Tamils will be available in the Book Exhibition at Chennai from 6 th to 16 th January 2006.

The book could be bought from Mithra Arts & Creations
32/9 Arcot Road Kodambakkam Chennai 600024
tel:+ 91 44 2372 3182
+ 91 44 2473 5314
N.Nandhivarman General secretary Dravida Peravai