An interview with writer Indira Parthasarathy

[Oldposts]

chandra,

IP has bought to notice a very valid point that tamil is not recognized as a classic language. I have an equally serious anguish that the Indian constitution which was originally written in english is not translated into any *national* languages. It is but sad that if you do not know english (or Hindi) you cannot read the constitution of your country (and cannot know what rights it sanctions and forbids).

Incidently, I have an abridged *tamil* version of the erstwhile German Demacratic Republic (GDR, East germany) constitution that I received from Radio Berlin International during my school days !!!???

All that we have nurtured these days is only linguistic hatred.

Equally (and sometimes more obnoxious) is the *nationalistic* outlook and the associated inertia. If you wanted to send a money order (from kovilpatti to kambam) you need to know english/hindi. To have it printed in tamil, someone had to fast-unto-death and it was acceeded in 10 days. And to have it printed in kannada, after 1 year, someone else had to fast-unto-death. Things that should happen automatically must be *achieved* in our country.