The Tamil Department of Guru Nanak College, Velachery, and the Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT), Taramani, organised a three-day national seminar on Tamil Classical Literature recently.
The inaugural function of the Tamil seminar, titled ‘Tharkaala Vaazviyalukku Sanga Thamizin Kodai’(The relevance of Sangam Literature in contemporary Tamil life) was held on Thursday at the college.
M Murthi, HoD Tamil and coordinator of the seminar, delivered the welcome address. Sardar Manjith Singh Nayyar presided over the function and M Selvaraj, Principal, delivered the presidential address.
Muthuvel, registrar of CICT, declared the seminar open and delivered the inaugural speech. The translated version of Thirukkural by Thiruvalluvar in Bengali is to be released next month in West Bengal he said. Western Tamil scholars like Rev G U Pope pioneered the trend of translating Thirukkural into European languages. He pointed out the irony that for half a century the translation of Thirukkural was available only in European languages and only after 1930 was it translated into Indian languages. The translation of Thirukkural in all Indian languages is one of the main objectives of CICT, he said.
With the objective of spreading awareness about Tamil classics among the younger generation CICT convened more than 60 three-day seminars and 10 workshops this year, Muthuvel said. He spoke about his happiness when the Governor of Manipur released a Manipuri translation of Thirukkural in Imphal last month.
Karu Nagarajan, member secretary of the Tamil Nadu Higher Education Forum, delivered a special lecture in which he quoted many poems from Sangam literature and stressed its relevance today. He quoted a poem from Avvai.
Gayathri, assistant professor, Department of Tamil, proposed the vote of thanks.