CHENNAI: One is not born into the love for a language; rather cultivates it. Nivethitha Jeethaman Krishna, despite being born into a Telugu-speaking family, found her love for Tamil in the early years of her school life, thanks to the books her father got her. “Imagine if books could help me get interested in a language that is not even my mother tongue, how much they could help cultivate interest in the children of the state,” shares the resident of Rajappayanchavadi (a village near Mannargudi). A few years ago, after the birth of her son, Nivethitha took to mom bloggers and Instagram posts that taught her about the importance of education in children aged 0-5 years. But her search for books in Tamil yielded very few options. “It was surprising to see the scarcity of good, illustrated books teaching the Tamil alphabet for this age range. So, I took it upon myself to fill the gap,” she continues. Thus, in 2020, came about Emmozhi Publications.
With her highly durable picture books, Nivethitha is making it easier for parents like her who wish to teach their kids Tamil. She began with Uyirodu Uraiyaadu, a book about Tamizh uyir ezhuthukkal and then moved ahead to produce Meiyodu Viliyadu about Tamizh mei ezhuthukkal. “My biggest advantage is that I have a son this age. On analysing the demand, I understood that there was a need for a book about Tamil shlokas as well. While our children do learn shlokas at home, they usually do so in Sanskrit. There are several in Tamil as well. So, I took simple four-line shlokas and transformed them into the third book for publication. It has got a really good response,” she gleams. In her next project, Nivethitha is looking to create three-piece puzzles that will allow kids to construct words.
Taking to Tamil
Nivethitha maintains that while she has nothing against children learning English, it is also important to incorporate their mother tongue in the mix, especially at a young age. Board books, she explains, spark this interest at an age when the language is usually only verbally taught. “Board books were not a huge thing when we were young. I never read them but now, with the increase in awareness of education for 0-5-year-old children, they are becoming popular. I worry that the culture of teaching children Tamil early is slipping. Currently, everyone wants to send their children to phonics classes but books like these will help them fall in love with the culture and Tamil heritage,” she says, adding that while most books available in the market are imported, hers are created right here in India. Apart from the illustrations, which are outsourced to freelancers, everything in the business is handled by her; a one-woman show.
That being said, she does have a very reliable quality tester in her son. “When my son uses the books, I see if the paper is strong, if he understands the text. I ask him questions and only once I have observed his reactions do I publish the books,” she declares.
She has also made the most of social media when it comes to marketing. Engaging mom bloggers and parenting groups as reviewers, she has garnered a lot of recognition within the parenting community. “I have got a lot of positive responses. Something that surprised me was that parents from Sri Lanka and other states also reached out to give me their thoughts. They said they have been searching for these books and finally found a match in mine,” she notes.
The right timing
Beginning her business at the dawn of the pandemic brought with it pros and cons. While the lack of social interaction and lockdowns has led to an online-exclusive sales strategy, everyone being confined to their homes has also created a willing market. “The interest in learning Tamil has also increased in the past few years; so that has been a boon for the business,” she surmises.
Despite having accomplished all this single-handedly, a fair bit of prejudice also slips in during customer interaction. “Many people who reach out to me on social media are utterly confused because they expect the owner to be a man. That a woman is doing this surprises them. They assume that I am from a big city. I don’t know why it is so strange to them that a woman from a village could be running this operation. I would like that stereotype to diminish,” she laments.
While hoping for a change in the perception of people is one for the long run, there seems to be much more to come in the future of Emmozhi Publications.
The books are available on emmozhipublications.com and Amazon.