Chennai: IIT Madras has sparked controversy on Saturday after students took the pledge in Sanskrit and English during the premier institute's convocation. Similarly, they also rendered the invocation in Sanskrit, thereby attracting the wrath of politicos and Tamil activists as well as educationists.
Following the violation, the PMK has announced to hold a protest against IIT-M on Tuesday.
Opting for Sanskrit at the expense of Tamil has put the Indian Institute of Technology - Madras, at the receiving end. The 58th convocation of the premier institute on Saturday, where Olympic medalist and world badminton champion PV Sindhu delivered the convocation address, has invited the wrath of political parties and Tamil activists over 'discrimination' of Tamil. The institution has yet again fueled the Tamil vs Sanskrit debate in a state where passion for the mother tongue and politics together make a heady mix.
From the rationalist Dravidar Kazhagam (DK), the ideological mentor of the ruling DMK, to the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and the fledgling Amma Makkal Munntera Kazhagam (AMMK) have lost no time to pounce on the institution, accusing it of carrying out an agenda to promote Sanskrit. In the Dravidian lexicon, Sanskrit and Hindi are symbols of Brahminical domination and hence the strident opposition to it.
The PMK has announced a protest in the vicinity of IIT-M on Tuesday. Pro-Tamil outfits too expected to join issue with the institution. In a series of tweets, PMK founder-president Dr S Ramadoss has condemned the IIT-M administration for 'insulting' mother Tamil.
“Tamil anthem was not sung at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the National Technology Centre in IIT-M. Following widespread condemnation, the institution expressed regret and subsequently, the Tamil anthem was played in 2019 at the diamond jubilee celebration. It should continue,” read his tweet further. He also urged the Tamil Nadu government to engage with IIT-M and ensure such disrespect to Tamil does not continue any further.
At the convocation where 1962 graduates and 392 Ph D scholars passed out, the invocation was in Sanskrit and students had taken the pledge either in English or in Sanskrit. It is mandatory in Tamil Nadu to sing the 'Tamil Thai Vazhthu' (invocation to mother Tamil) at all public events and it is customary for the audience to stand up. In 2018, the present pontiff of the Kanchi mutt, Vijayendra Saraswati himself faced public opprobrium as he sat through when it was sung at an event. For, it was seen as disrespect to Tamil.
DK general secretary K Veeramani blamed the IIT-M administration for wantonly ignoring Tamil. “IIT-M violating the Government Order, making singing of Tamil anthem as mandatory, was highly condemnable. It smacks of a hegemonic attitude and the Higher Education Department of the state should take necessary action,” he said in a statement.
Condemning IIT-M, AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran has said that both the State and the Centre should not remain mute spectators to the disrespect to Tamil. The institution behaving in such a manner is unacceptable, he added.
“A higher education institution is part of society and as such it should give space to the culture and tradition of the state where it is located. IIT-M should sing the Tamil anthem and if not, should explain its stand. Tamil is one among the official languages enshrined in the eighth schedule of the Constitution and hence, it needs to be given due respect,” said Education activist Prince Gajendra Babu, urging IIT-M to be sensitive and give up its present attitude.
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