If you want to destroy a race, it is enough to erode its language. Language is the cultural identity of a race and society. It has no direct link to intelligence. However, the current linguistic landscape of Tamil Nadu raises concerns about the possible decline of the Tamil identity.
For decades, language politics in Tamil Nadu has periodically flared up, with the latest phase focusing on opposition to the three-language policy. Tamil Nadu’s politicians are once again voicing concerns over a language war, claiming that Hindi, as a third language, will destroy Tamil. But do they truly understand the current state of Tamil? Or are they trying to conceal the real issue—that Tamil is already in decline?
A large percentage of school students in Tamil Nadu struggle to read or write Tamil without mistakes. According to the ASER (Annual Status of Education Report), eighth-grade students in government schools are unable to read even basic passages meant for second or third graders. For students in private schools, Tamil is often seen as a burden. This problem is even more pronounced among CBSE students.
While Tamil Nadu’s politicians criticise Central Government-run schools like Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya schools for not mandating Tamil as a compulsory subject, they remain silent when CBSE schools in the state keep Tamil as an optional language in board exams despite existing rules mandating it. As a result, many students and young people today prefer to use only “Tanglish” (a mix of Tamil and English), leading to a disconnect not only from Tamil but also from proper English proficiency. Such government policies that encourage linguistic erosion are alarming.
Recently, the Tamil Nadu School Education Department named an app as “Appa” (father in Tamil) but referred to its expansion as “Anaithu Palli Parent Teachers Association” in English. This reflects the paradox of the government’s approach to Tamil.
In developed countries like Japan, China, Russia, and Germany, higher education in fields like medicine and technology is conducted in their native languages. However, in Tamil Nadu, Tamil is being sidelined even at the school level, which is nothing short of linguistic genocide. Due to their fascination with English, most parents prefer English-medium schools for their children. While English is undoubtedly important as a link language, neglecting Tamil for the sake of English poses a grave threat to its future.
The state government should have used its authority to make Tamil both the medium of instruction and a compulsory subject. It must now ensure that future generations learn Tamil properly by enforcing it as a mandatory subject in all schools and as a compulsory language in exams. The rise and fall of a language depend on government policies. However, Tamil Nadu’s politicians seem more interested in using Tamil as a political tool rather than fostering its growth.
On one hand, these politicians oppose the three-language policy and the imposition of Hindi, while on the other, they fail to take administrative steps to protect Tamil. Unlike Karnataka, which made its state language compulsory in Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya schools, Tamil Nadu’s leaders refuse to do the same. This reveals their double standards, as both state and central governments seem to be holding a gun to Tamil’s head.
Tamil Nadu is currently engulfed in political debates over the two-language and three-language policies, as well as the removal of Hindi signboards. While such issues may serve political parties, the government should take practical steps to ensure that business signboards display Tamil prominently. Furthermore, Tamil must be made a mandatory subject and medium of instruction to protect the Tamil people, their culture, and their heritage.
Two generations of students have already become estranged from Tamil. If a student can complete their entire schooling without learning or studying in Tamil, then in another fifty years, there may be no Tamil speakers left—only a Tamil Nadu that carries the name without the language.
In Bharathiyar’s words, “Tamil will slowly die.” Today, our society has already begun moving toward that slow demise. Just as wearing a veshti (traditional attire) or eating on a banana leaf has become a festival-time novelty rather than an everyday practice, a time is not far when reading and writing flawless Tamil will be seen as an exceptional skill rather than the norm.
Article Author — K. Gopinath, Education Activist & Senior Journalist.
Contanct : krishnagopinaath@gmail.com.
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