CHENNAI: Building on the initiative of Chennai International Book Fair and books fairs in each district, finance minister Thangam Thennarasu on Friday announced that Tamil book fairs will be conducted from this year in major Indian metropolitan cities such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Thiruvananthapuram, where Tamils reside in significant numbers, as well as in foreign countries, particularly in cities like Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Dubai. The state government has allocated Rs 2 crore for this purpose.
The minister also announced various initiatives to promote Tamil language around the world. He said that Thirukkural has been translated into 28 Indian languages and 35 world languages so far. At the recently concluded Chennai International Book Fair, international publishers have come forward to translate the Thirukkural into 28 different Asian, African and European languages. "Subsequently, when Thirukkural is translated into 45 additional world languages, it will achieve the distinction of being translated into all official languages of 193 member nations recognised by the United Nations," he said and allocated Rs 1.33 crore for aiding the translation work.
Apart from this, the Tamil Nadu textbook corporation will also collaborate with leading national and international publishing houses to translate 500 select Tamil literary masterpieces into English. Accordingly, 100 books will be translated annually, and 500 books will be translated into English in the next five years, for which the initial allocated Rs 10 crore has been made.
To promote Tamil heritage among young Tamils abroad, Rs 10 crore has been allocated for in-person classes through the Non-Resident Tamils' Welfare Board, engaging 100 Tamil teachers and artists. The 'World Tamil Olympiad' will be held annually as a computer-based exam for students worldwide, with Rs 1 crore set aside for those who secure top positions. ‘Agaram – Museum of Languages’ will be established at Madurai World Tamil Sangam to showcase Tamil’s antiquity, its ties with other Indian languages, and its evolution from rock paintings to digital computing.