<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_extra"><div class="gmail_quote"><div>Respected Prof. Tariq Rahman,<br><br></div><div>Congratulations on having this long over due recognition of your work. Many people have learnt much from your work. This news make us all happy.<br>
<br></div><div>Sincerely,<br></div><div>Ayaz Ahmad<br></div><div> </div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">> Dear colleagues,<br>
> The University of Sheffield examined my published work for the award of a<br>
> higher doctorate and I was told last night that the examiners have<br>
> recommended me for the award of an D.Litt.<br>
> I would like to thank many of you whose work I read in order to write my<br>
> own. My work may be of interest to those who are interested in language<br>
> politics and history of language learning etc in South Asia.<br>
><br>
> Tariq Rahman Ph.D<br>
> HEC Distinguished National Professor<br>
> & Professor Emeritus,<br>
> Dean School of Education<br>
> Beaconhouse National University<br>
> 3-C, Zafar Ali Road, Lahore 54400,<br>
> Pakistan.<br>
><br>
><br>
> My other e-mail address is:-<br>
> <a href="mailto:drtariqr8@gmail.com">drtariqr8@gmail.com</a><br>
> <a href="mailto:tariq.rahman@bnu.edu.pk">tariq.rahman@bnu.edu.pk</a><br>
><br>
> _______________________________________________<br>
> This message came to you by way of the lgpolicy-list mailing list<br>
> <a href="mailto:lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu">lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu</a><br>
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><br>
><br>
<br>
<br>
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=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+<br>
<br>
Harold F. Schiffman<br>
<br>
Professor Emeritus of<br>
Dravidian Linguistics and Culture<br>
Dept. of South Asia Studies<br>
University of Pennsylvania<br>
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305<br>
<br>
Phone: <a href="tel:%28215%29%20898-7475" value="+12158987475">(215) 898-7475</a><br>
Fax: <a href="tel:%28215%29%20573-2138" value="+12155732138">(215) 573-2138</a><br>
<br>
Email: <a href="mailto:haroldfs@gmail.com">haroldfs@gmail.com</a><br>
<a href="http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/" target="_blank">http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/</a><br>
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Message: 3<br>
Date: Sat, 8 Mar 2014 10:01:26 -0500<br>
From: Harold Schiffman <<a href="mailto:hfsclpp@gmail.com">hfsclpp@gmail.com</a>><br>
Subject: [lg policy] Japan Provides Rs. 100 million to promote<br>
Trilingual Language Policy in Sri Lanka<br>
To: lp <<a href="mailto:lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu">lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu</a>><br>
Message-ID:<br>
<<a href="mailto:CAB7VSRC8q3VqAYE9%2BmQdAbP0R1REJmNGTNKD9VPEyK-5BE3n4A@mail.gmail.com">CAB7VSRC8q3VqAYE9+mQdAbP0R1REJmNGTNKD9VPEyK-5BE3n4A@mail.gmail.com</a>><br>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"<br>
<br>
Japan Provides Rs. 100 million to promote Trilingual Language Policy in<br>
Sri Lanka<br>
<<a href="http://www.news.lk/news/sri-lanka/8643-japan-provides-rs-100-million-to-promote-trilingual-language-policy-in-sri-lanka" target="_blank">http://www.news.lk/news/sri-lanka/8643-japan-provides-rs-100-million-to-promote-trilingual-language-policy-in-sri-lanka</a>><br>
Details Published on Saturday, 08 March 2014 05:12<br>
<br>
The Government of Japan has granted Rs. 100 million under its Non-Project<br>
Counterpart Fund for implementing two projects identified by the Government<br>
of Sri Lanka, aimed at facilitating the implementation of the Trilingual<br>
Language Policy of Sri Lanka.<br>
<br>
Under this programme japan provides Rs. 80.24 million for teacher<br>
development and capacity building by improving the quality of learning and<br>
teaching of Sinhala, Tamil, and English to promote trilingual Sri Lanka.<br>
The project will be implemented by the Ministry of Education and would<br>
support the development of teacher training material and conducting of<br>
training programs at provincial, zonal and divisional levels, establishment<br>
of quality circles of language teachers etc.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Rs. 20 million will be provided for this project for printing of study<br>
packs based on syllables prepared for second language proficiency in all<br>
four levels of public officers and the printing of related course modules.<br>
This project will be implemented by the Ministry of National Languages and<br>
Social Integration.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
The two projects are expected to benefit around 54,150 of language teachers<br>
(Sinhala, Tamil, and English), nearly 4 million primary to secondary level<br>
students and 1.3 million public officers and the general public as a whole.<br>
Japan considers these two projects of great importance in terms of<br>
facilitating national reconciliation through promoting a Trilingual Sri<br>
Lanka enabling all communities to communicate with each other with ease and<br>
understanding. Japan hopes that these projects will enhance the<br>
government's efforts towards reconciliation.<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.news.lk/news/sri-lanka/8643-japan-provides-rs-100-million-to-promote-trilingual-language-policy-in-sri-lanka" target="_blank">http://www.news.lk/news/sri-lanka/8643-japan-provides-rs-100-million-to-promote-trilingual-language-policy-in-sri-lanka</a><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
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Message: 4<br>
Date: Sat, 8 Mar 2014 11:59:12 -0500<br>
From: Harold Schiffman <<a href="mailto:haroldfs@gmail.com">haroldfs@gmail.com</a>><br>
Subject: [lg policy] Myanmar's Tamils seek to protect their identity<br>
To: lp <<a href="mailto:lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu">lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu</a>><br>
Message-ID:<br>
<CACqQ=<a href="mailto:kJ4NyUDx4Bvq_0Bts6Ycr8cvUF1eKwYdA0Hw8gtpSf1Rw@mail.gmail.com">kJ4NyUDx4Bvq_0Bts6Ycr8cvUF1eKwYdA0Hw8gtpSf1Rw@mail.gmail.com</a>><br>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"<br>
<br>
Myanmar's Tamils seek to protect their identity By Swaminathan Natarajan BBC<br>
Tamil, Myanmar<br>
[image: Students in a Tamil class room] Motivating young Tamil students to<br>
attend classes in Myanmar is a formidable challenge<br>
Continue reading the main<br>
story<<a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-25438275#story_continues_1" target="_blank">http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-25438275#story_continues_1</a>><br>
Related<br>
Stories<br>
<br>
- Mystery over India freedom<br>
hero<<a href="http://www.bbc.com/2/hi/south_asia/4989868.stm" target="_blank">http://www.bbc.com/2/hi/south_asia/4989868.stm</a>><br>
- British 'attempted to kill<br>
Bose'<<a href="http://www.bbc.com/2/hi/south_asia/4152320.stm" target="_blank">http://www.bbc.com/2/hi/south_asia/4152320.stm</a>><br>
- Hitler's secret Indian army<<a href="http://www.bbc.com/2/hi/europe/3684288.stm" target="_blank">http://www.bbc.com/2/hi/europe/3684288.stm</a>><br>
<br>
People of Indian origin make up of roughly 2% of Myanmar's 55-million<br>
population, but the experiences of Tamil people - who comprise the largest<br>
group - have veered from one extreme to the other in the past 200 years.<br>
<br>
After independence in 1948, the introduction of land reforms, the<br>
imposition of the Burmese language and the decision to give preferential<br>
treatment to the majority Burmese community pushed Tamils down in the<br>
social hierarchy.<br>
<br>
They are now trying to revive their language and culture by opening new<br>
schools.<br>
<br>
Tamils from south India began migrating to Myanmar - also now known as<br>
Burma - during the early 19th Century.<br>
Political upheavals<br>
<br>
But unlike indentured labourers who went from India to counties such as Sri<br>
Lanka and South Africa , Tamils in Burma were not taken on by the colonial<br>
administration.<br>
<br>
Instead they worked as agricultural labourers for members of the<br>
traditional merchant caste known as Nagarathars.<br>
Continue reading the main<br>
story<<a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-25438275#story_continues_2" target="_blank">http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-25438275#story_continues_2</a>><br>
"Start Quote [image: Sumathi]<br>
<br>
Even my Tamil friends prefer to speak in Burmese. I can understand a bit of<br>
Tamil but can't speak it"<br>
<br>
Sumathi Fifth generation Tamil in Myanmar<br>
<br>
"We have a temple which was built in 1836. Some say the first Tamil<br>
settlers arrived in 1824," says Dhanapal, a trader living in the port city<br>
of Mawlamyine.<br>
<br>
At the turn of the 20th Century, Tamils established themselves in<br>
agriculture and trade in what was then Burma.<br>
<br>
But their fortunes took a huge downturn during the World War Two and<br>
subsequent political upheavals.<br>
<br>
After the Japanese invasion of Burma, many thousands of Tamils who worked<br>
in urban areas for the British colonial administration returned to India.<br>
<br>
Once independence was secured, the Burmese government introduced land<br>
reforms and took over vast tracts of irrigated land and businesses as part<br>
of a nationalisation drive.<br>
'Permanent damage'<br>
<br>
The imposition of the Burmese language as the medium of instruction -<br>
combined with the forced closure of Tamil schools in the 1960s - triggered<br>
another wave of reverse migration.<br>
[image: A statue of Buddha in a Hindu temple in Rangoon] There is a<br>
visible bond between Buddhism and Hinduism in many Hindu temples<br>
<br>
But many Tamils have deep roots in the country. They kept a low profile and<br>
slowly improved their fortunes by mending their relationship with the<br>
majority community and staying away from politics.<br>
<br>
Septuagenarian Nainar Mohamed says that the closing down of Tamil schools<br>
by the government some 50 years ago caused permanent damage.<br>
<br>
"While travelling in a train I saw a group of girls clothed in traditional<br>
saris," he said.<br>
<br>
"They had long hair and wore flowers. But when I tried to speak to them in<br>
Tamil, they were not able to understand a word. Large numbers of Tamils<br>
here cannot read, write or even speak Tamil."<br>
<br>
Sumathi, 20, is a fifth generation Tamil. She lives in an area inhabited by<br>
many Tamil families in Mawlamyine.<br>
<br>
She likes to wear traditional Burmese dresses and applies thangka - a<br>
yellowish paste - on her cheeks.<br>
<br>
"I work in a local shop. I speak in Burmese at my home. Even my Tamil<br>
friends prefer to speak in Burmese. I can understand a bit of Tamil but<br>
can't speak it," she says in broken Tamil. She has no intention to attend<br>
Tamil classes.<br>
<br>
In her neighbourhood - which outwardly has symbols of Tamil culture - there<br>
are many others who struggle to speak the language.<br>
[image: Tamil students in Burma] Many younger Tamils do not speak the<br>
language and adopt Burmese customs<br>
<br>
The younger generation of Tamils eats Burmese food, speaks the Burmese<br>
language in their homes and in many cases prefers to wear traditional<br>
Burmese costumes.<br>
<br>
Unlike the previous generation they have very little emotional connection<br>
with the land of their ancestors. This trend is giving way to fears of<br>
total assimilation.<br>
<br>
"Our boys and girls don't know Tamil or Sanskrit. They don't know the<br>
history and cultural traditions of our community. Some have even embraced<br>
other religions," says Devaraj, a trustee of a Rangoon temple.<br>
<br>
To arrest this trend he has started organising religion classes for Hindu<br>
children. Barring a small number of Muslims and Christians, Burmese Tamils<br>
are predominantly Hindu.<br>
<br>
There is a visible bond between Hinduism and Buddhism. There are more than<br>
1,000 Hindu temples in present-day Myanmar. In some of the more famous<br>
temples ethnic Burmese visitors outnumber Tamils.<br>
<br>
All Hindu temples have a statue or image of Buddha. Even though some Hindu<br>
traditions accept Buddha as a reincarnation of Lord Vishnu, not many<br>
temples in India have Buddha statues.<br>
<br>
Members of the Burmese Tamil community say that this mutual understanding<br>
means that they have largely escaped religious violence which sometimes has<br>
plagued Burma.<br>
<br>
But while Myanmar's military rulers did not interfere with temple<br>
administrations, the closure of Tamil schools meant that the Tamil language<br>
was only taught in temples - and then only for the purposes of fostering<br>
religious education and music and dance.<br>
<br>
The restrictions meant that Burma's Tamil population has remained isolated<br>
for many years.<br>
[image: Statue of Thiruvalluvar] Evidence of Tamil culture is not hard to<br>
find - such as this statue of renowned poet Thiruvalluvar<br>
<br>
It maintained very little contact with Tamil Nadu or with other<br>
well-established Tamil communities living in Singapore and Malaysia. Many<br>
Tamil teenagers - and their parents - have not even seen India.<br>
<br>
But with change sweeping Myanmar, many new schools - which are keen to go<br>
beyond religious education only - have emerged.<br>
<br>
"We have prepared a syllabus and brought out books which are given free. We<br>
train the teachers and are doing everything to motivate the students," says<br>
P Shanmuganathan, a teacher overseeing dozens of Tamil schools in Burma.<br>
<br>
Tamils in Burma are thinly spread, except in a few villages. In many places<br>
it is difficult to muster enough students to justify the salaries of<br>
teachers - usually paid by the voluntary contributions from Tamil<br>
businessmen.<br>
<br>
Motivating young students to attend classes is a formidable challenge.<br>
<br>
"Some ask me why we should learn the language which is not going to provide<br>
job opportunities and has no practical utility. I tell them this is about<br>
our own history and identity. We will not be able to call ourselves Tamil<br>
if we lose our language," Mr Shanmuganathan says.<br>
<br>
Tamil teachers say that if present efforts are sustained, the community<br>
will be able to keep the Tamil culture and language alive for years to come.<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-25438275" target="_blank">http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-25438275</a><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
--<br>
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+<br>
<br>
Harold F. Schiffman<br>
<br>
Professor Emeritus of<br>
Dravidian Linguistics and Culture<br>
Dept. of South Asia Studies<br>
University of Pennsylvania<br>
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305<br>
<br>
Phone: <a href="tel:%28215%29%20898-7475" value="+12158987475">(215) 898-7475</a><br>
Fax: <a href="tel:%28215%29%20573-2138" value="+12155732138">(215) 573-2138</a><br>
<br>
Email: <a href="mailto:haroldfs@gmail.com">haroldfs@gmail.com</a><br>
<a href="http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/" target="_blank">http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/</a><br>
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</blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Ayaz Ahmad<br>Lecturer in English,<br>Department of English,<br>Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan. <br>Ph.D. Research Scholar,<br>Area Study Centre (Russia, China & Central Asia),<br>
University of Peshawar.<br>Cell Phone: <span class="skype_c2c_print_container">+92-334-8432207</span><span class="skype_c2c_container" dir="ltr" tabindex="-1" onmouseover="SkypeClick2Call.MenuInjectionHandler.showMenu(this, event)" onmouseout="SkypeClick2Call.MenuInjectionHandler.hideMenu(event)"><span class="skype_c2c_highlighting_inactive_common" dir="ltr"><span class="skype_c2c_textarea_span"><img class="skype_c2c_logo_img" src="resource://skype_ff_extension-at-jetpack/skype_ff_extension/data/call_skype_logo.png"><span class="skype_c2c_text_span">+92-334-8432207</span><span class="skype_c2c_free_text_span"></span></span></span></span>
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