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Email from readers the world over
'We don't need brigands to take up the cause of the Tamils living in another state for generations'
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Tue, 08 Aug 2000, 11:02:52EST +0530 There is a lot of truth in what Ashwin Mahesh says. I only wish both S M Krishna and Karunanidhi read this piece. Just to add a few more facts to your column: A second wave of Tamilians came to Karnataka long ago, when Sheshadri Aiyar, then Diwan of the King of Mysore, wanted `bright' and `intelligent' people to work for the benefit of Mysore state. So he brought a few people from his town and they did yeoman service to the state. (The first wave, I believe, came with Ramanujacharya and settled down around Melkote -- a town dedicated to Lord Narasimha). D V Gundappa and Masti Venkatesh Aiyangar, celebrated names in Kannada literary circles and both recipients of the Jnanpith award for their works in Kannada, spoke Tamil at home. Gorur Ramaswami Aiyangar, T P Kailasam and A K Ramanujam are but a few names of people who spoke Tamil at home but the state of Karnataka and the Kannada language have been enriched by their works in Kannada. So what you talk of Kannada pride is true. Unfortunately, there are still people who `use' issues of language, water and land for their own short-term gains. V S Ashok
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Tue, 08 Aug 2000, 01:37:11EST -0400 I don't agree with the writer of this piece. He seems to be either ignorant about Karnataka or he seems to have been living a secluded life or is just plain prejudiced. Is there anyone in Karnataka who does not know about Dr Rajakumar? No. Is it true that people have stopped watching Dr Rajakumar's movies? No. He makes these statements which are completely false: "Many of us, I will bet, had never heard of Rajakumar until the profiteer took him hostage and if he is a matinee idol par excellence, why, that must surely have passed us by. Whereas Rajnikanth and Kamal Hassan continued to do the rounds amongst family video gatherings long after the move from Tamil Nadu had been completed." I would like to comment on another paragraph given below, which appears in the same article: "Karnataka is an incredibly diverse place and the linguistic basis on which most southern states are founded, if applied rigorously to Karnataka, would dismember the state. Amidst half-way decent climate and growing opportunities, millions of outsides, notably Tamilians and Keralites, have come to live there. Coupled with the Coorgis, Konkans, Marathis, remnants of the old Nawab regions, the beaches in the far north leaning towards Goa and many other inflections on homogeneity, there is a lot to go around in political squabbling." The diversity of Karnataka which this writer is talking about is because of the tolerance of the Kannadigas and not due to anything else. Another point to be noted is that the author seems to be pained by the reservations for Kannadigas in Karnataka. But then it is all right if Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra reserve seats for the local people, is it? In all the states mentioned above, learning the local language is compulsory for a few years but I am sure the author will be hurt if Karnataka wants to do introduce the same legislation. As far as the Cauvery River dispute is concerned, again the author shows similar partisanship without going into the history of the dispute which clearly demonstrates the injustices suffered by the people of Karnataka. In short, the author wants to say that since Karnataka state has diversity, Kannadigas have no say in the affairs of their state. If the author is really interested in keeping India together, then he should first start by educating the people of Tamil Nadu about tolerance, diversity etc. before sermonising to any other community. Shreesh Mudri
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Tue, August 08 2000, 11:51EST It is a fact that we do not need brigands to take up the cause of the Tamils living in another state for generations -- for they in reality, belong to that state. I wish this article could be more widely circulated so that it can be read by all sections of people.
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Tue, 08 Aug 2000, 01:04:39EST -0500 What is Ashwin Mahesh talking about? My first question to him is, how long have you lived in Bangalore and how much do you know about Karnataka and its heritage? Knowing M G Road and Brigade Road in Bangalore does not mean you know Bangalore or the state of Karnataka or its people for that matter. I agree that Veerappan's demands are outrageous and Chief Minister Krishna needs to stay tough, but that is a different issue altogether. The reason why Ashwin Mahesh did not know who Rajakumar was is because he is one of those ignorant immigrants. I am not against diversification or people migrating but I am against those who fail to learn and understand the local culture and people. Harsha
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Tue, 08 Aug 2000, 01:51:43EST -0400 Ashwin Mahesh has done a great job! Shanthi Tantry
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Tue, 08 Aug 2000, 08:49:49EST +0300 Before anyone writes something like this, he should know of how the people heading the software industry are treating Kannadigas. People from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh are favoured over Kannadigas and are given jobs. I work in a reputed software company and I know this happens. In a decade or two you will see that Bangalore is full of Andhraites and Tamilians. And in any case, the author seems to know very little if anything about the Kannadigas' culture or about Bangalore, for that matter. Raghavendra
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Tue, 08 Aug 2000, 11:06:44EST +0530 A very thoughtful and well-written article expressing the right sentiments at the right time. Keep up the good work! Dr M T Shyamsunder
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Tue, 08 Aug 2000, 15:15:55EST +1000 An excellent article! As a Tamilian, I couldn't agree more with Ashwin Mahesh. We need more articles like this to promote homogeneity in India. Can you please send me Mr Mahesh's email address? Karthi Subramanian
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Tue, 08 Aug 2000, 10:03:20EST +0530 I agree with the writer. On the one hand we have "our" India and on the other, this idiocy of "outsiders" and "insiders" within the country itself is appalling. I have been living in Bangalore for four years now and I don't think I would ever want to live anywhere else. It is a lovely city. The people are very friendly too, minus of course the zealots and the fanatics. I hate those who try to enforce languages, scripts, dress codes etc. I appreciate that the city is largely very flexible and we are very fortunate that it is a very tiny (though audible) minority that keeps up this language/ethnic/regional barrier. You just have to compare this with the over-zealousness that exists is many states -- including Tamil Nadu -- and realise what made this city India's IT capital. If we have to be fanatical about the city, let us do so in a positive way. Let us keep the city clean, for instance. Let us take pride in Bangalore's cleanliness, its beauty, its cheerfulness and especially its cosmopolitan, universal nature. People from all over the globe -- not just India -- feel quite at home here. Let us keep it that way. Sameer Shisodia
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