MESSAGE
It is with much pleasure that I send this message to the NUS Tamil Language Society to mark their
Singapore Tamil Youth Conference 2014. As your Conference is about the Tamil Language and its place in
our Singapore context, I think we can draw some lessons from our unusual keynote Speaker - Mrs Zhao
Jiang or Kalaimagal, her Tamil name. Coming from China where Tamil is hardly spoken, it is highly
commendable that she has not only taken to learning Tamil, but more important that she is putting her
knowledge to good use as the Head of the Tamil Service of China Radio International, in Beijing.
Resistance to changes on matters of Language is not uncommon. Tamil Language champions can be
expected to react strongly, with more than shrill voices, if they see a threat to the preservation of Tamil. Calls
for exclusiveness will become all the louder. Viewed against such calls, Kalaimagal’s example should give us
much reason to think whether this advocacy to be exclusive is in our long term interest as Singaporeans. I
therefore appeal to you, who have a strong interest in the preservation and strengthening of Tamil Language
to give some thought on where your interest should lie, in promoting the growth of Tamil. Whether to be
champions of Tamil Language to the exclusion of other Indian Languages, which our other fellow Indian
Singaporeans consider to be part of their heritage; or be broad-minded and seek to preserve Tamil and
Tamilness in the inclusive context of all Indian languages that are also part of the heritage of our other fellow
Indian Singaporeans.
Resistance to inclusiveness and to give space to English and other Indian languages that are part of
our heritage is liable to come from some older Tamil Singaporeans. That is to be expected. But for you Young
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NUS Tamil Language Society
35th Executive Committee