Tamil gets Classical language status

[Joe Lo Bianco]

is that meant to be a "Tamil marriage gathering"?   Joe





At 12:32 AM 29/05/2004, you wrote:
> >From The Hindu (Madras), Thursday, May 27, 2004
>
>http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200405271608.htm?headline=
>
>"Tamil to get classical language status"
>
>Chennai, May 27. (UNI). The new Congress-led government at the Centre, of
>which the DMK is a key constituent, has consented to accord the 'classical
>language' status to Tamil, party supremo M Karunanidhi announced today.
>
>This would be officially announced as part of the new Common Minimum
>Programme to be released this evening by Congress President Sonia Gandhi,
>he said, addressing a gathering here.
>
>The demand of the DMK as well as its allies in the seven-party Democratic
>Progressive Alliance in the state that 'Tamil' should be declared as
>classical language, has been endorsed by the Centre, he said.
>
>"I should not be revealing an official secret in advance, but this being a
>Tamil marriage gathering, I am happy to tell you that the Centre will
>declare Tamil as a classical language," Mr Karunanidhi said.
>
>The DMK, as well as its other allies like the MDMK and the PMK had been
>demanding even when they were part of the erstwhile BJP-led NDA government
>at the Centre, that this status be accorded to Tamil.
>
>Apparently, this was one of the demands along with repeal of POTA on which
>these parties had developed differences with the NDA government and
>ultimately pulled out of it.
>
>[Editorial comment (hfs): Tamils have been asking for "classical language
>status" since the 1930's, and this now means that Tamil is put on a par
>with Sanskrit for this status.]


Joseph Lo Bianco

Professor of Language and Literacy Education
LLAE, Faculty of Education
The University of Melbourne
3010 VIC   Australia

Tel:    03 8344 8346
Fax:    03 8344 8612
Mob: 0407 798 978
Email: j.lobianco at unimelb.edu.au