Chennai: Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) University Chancellor G Viswanathan urged the people to love all languages but breathe Tamil, during the launch of Sooti Magizhvom Thooya Tamil Peyarkal, a book that has 46,000 Tamil names.
The book was released in Tiruvannamalai Monday by Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy and the first copy was received by MDMK chief Vaiko. The book has 23,000 male names and 23,000 girl child names. according to a release.
Viswanathan chaired the event as Tamiliyakkam president and addressed the gathering. He said, “There are around 6,900 languages in the world and only 7 are classical languages. And among them, Tamil is the oldest. When we started Tamiliyakkam, our aim was to save Tamil language in Tamilnadu and implant it abroad. Tamil is the first language to get a grammar. Around 3,500 years ago, there was Tholkappiyam and there was no caste; only 1,500 years ago, caste and religion came into existence.”
“When Maraimalai Adigalar started ‘Pure Tamil Movement’, the purpose was to write in Tamil. We are not against foreign languages. The Central government should help Tamil language just as it helps Sanskrit,” Viswanathan added.
Narayanasamy went on to say, “People who write and speak in Tamil should safeguard the language. They should name their wards in Tamil and this book (Sooti Magizhvom Thooya Tamil Peyarkal) will help them. No language should be forced on people and they should learn new languages if they wish to. We should also fight against language imposition.”
Vaiko said he gifts Thirukkural books at weddings and asked people to name their children in Tamil.