Kalaignar – The savior of Tamil history

Let us celebrate the Tamil New Year – The auspicious day of Thai Pongal with fanfare.
- Greetings from Deputy CM Thalapathi M.K.Stalin

All over the world, the ushering in of a year is calculated as the birth of a New Year. But, the Tamil New Year is celebrated as the making of a new history – the salvaging of a buried history. Our leader, Chief Minister Kalaignar is the founder of this historical achievement. Only the Dravidian movement can pride itself of transforming the auspicious day of Pongal for the Tamils, into the day of uprising for Tamil Nadu.

When festivals symbolic of alien cultures were being celebrated here, it was the DMK that made the celebration of Pongal symbolic of the land of Tamils, and as a festival that went beyond caste and communal differences. Due to this cultural revival, all over the world people are celebrating the auspicious day of Pongal with enthusiasm – Enthusiasm that is the result of the efforts of Thanthai Periyar, Arignar Anna and our leader Kalaignar.

Just like his victorious effort towards salvaging our culture, Kalaignar has been victorious in salvaging our history too. Due to the influence of an alien culture, we have been following the recursive calendar that starts from the year of ‘Prabhava’ to the year of ‘Atchaya,’ instead of following a calendar that chronicles the history of the Tamils. On the basis of this 60-year calendar, so far, the first day of the Tamil month of ‘Chitirai’ has been celebrated as the Tamil New Year day. Not only is this a cultural contravention, but it has also created a climate of historical discontinuity.

For example, if the first day of the Tamil month of ‘Chitirai’ in 2008 falls in the year of ‘Virodhi’ then the first day of the Tamil month of Chitirai in 2068 too will fall under the year of the ‘Virodhi.’ Instead of a linear time line, this 60-named nomenclature of the years has only created confusion in dating the history of the ancient Tamil race. We have arrived at 2010, as the thousandth anniversary of Raja Raja Chola’s Big Temple in Thanjavur, based on the English calendar. If we had followed the hitherto Tamil calendar, then we would have ended up arriving only at sixty years. To avoid such discrepancies and confusions, Kalaignar has initiated the Tamil year calendar that chronicles the history of the Tamils in right earnest.

I have to explain a bit of history to the young people of Tamil Nadu. In the year 1921, during a conference at Pachiappas College in Chennai, where Maraimalai Adigal and 100 other scholars had participated, it was formulated that the first day of the Tamil month of ‘Thai’ will be promulgated as the Tamil New Year and in the same vein, it was established through research findings that Thiruvalluvar was born 31 years before Christ. On the basis of the promulgations of the Tamil scholars, in the year 1971, the DMK government under the aegis of Kalaignar had decided that the time line of the Tamils will be followed as B.T (before Thiruvalluvar) and A.T (After Thiruvalluvar). In 1972 it was published in the Gazette and was brought into force. Similarly last year, Kalaignar implemented that the first day of the Tamil month of Tamil ‘Thai’ will henceforth be referred to as the Tamil New Year. Hence, according to the Thiruvalluvar Calendar, this Tamil New year will read as A.T 2041. This whole explanation is only to make our young people understand the significance of the Tamil New Year.

The young people of Tamil Nadu must celebrate the salvaging of the symbols of our history and culture. It has now become a practice to welcome the English New Year with fun and fanfare. Celebrate the first day of the month of the Tamil month of ‘Thai’ with hearts filled with love and warm wishes. Share wishes for the Tamil New Year, along with Pongal wishes, with all your friends and relatives. Send your wishes through SMS messages on your cell phones. Pass on email greetings. This is our New Year. Celebrate this as The New Year of the Tamils with zeal and happiness.

On the auspicious day of the New Year and Pongal coming together, let it be celebrated as the festival of the youth, across villages, towns and cities. The young normally participate in different sports activities, as part of the Pongal celebrations. Any form of sport strengthens the body and mind of the young. This year too, I request everyone to conduct such sporting activities as New Year – Pongal sports events. In a similar fashion, the young, the women and the old can come together to participate in literary programs and cultural festivals, adding colour and pride to our Tamil New Year festivities.

Our Chief Minister Kalaignar has been implementing welfare schemes that enhance the Tamils and Tamil Nadu. Kalaignar takes care of the overall welfare of the Tamil people – Right from the One rupee rice scheme that quells their hunger pangs to the life saving advanced medical treatment through Kalaignar’s Life Insurance Scheme, a lot of path breaking schemes have been implemented, by him. Just as much as a mother cares for her children, Kalaignar who cares for the Tamils – He also cares to salvage the Tamil language’s history and cultural symbols and, the exceptional qualities of the Tamil race to the rest of the world. The World Classical Tamil conference to be held in July, at Coimbatore will highlight the superiority of Tamil, to the world.

Let us stand by our leader Kalaignar who has dedicated his life for Tamil, the Tamils and for the welfare of Tamil Nadu. Let us celebrate the Tamil New Year that was salvaged by him. Let happiness fill the homes and hearts of the Tamils. Let there be a swell of cheer and prosperity. Happy Tamil New Year – Pongal wishes.

The first day of the month Thai is Tamil New Year
Let the Tamils celebrate with happiness and cheer!

Add comment January 12th, 2010