Delhi Government to set up Tamil Academy

Delhi government recently announced that it is to set up a Tamil Academy to protect the Tamil language and culture.

Who is the vice chairman of the Tamil Academy set up by Delhi government?

The Ex-Councilor N Raja has been appointed as the vice chairman of the newly set up Tamil Academy.

What are the functions of Tamil Academy?

• The newly created Tamil Academy will organise Tamil language classes, give new awards and organise cultural events to promote and recognise literary works in Tamil.
• Delhi government is to provide language courses through the Tamil Academy.

What are the other Language Academies setup by Delhi government?

The Delhi government already runs Sanskrit, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Hindi, Maithili and Bhojpuri Academies.

How important is Tamil language in India?

• Tamil was the first language to be classified as a classical language in India.
• It is the official language of Tamil Nadu and to other countries such as Singapore and Sri Lanka and also the official language of Union Territory of Puducherry.
• The earliest period of Tamil literature called the Sangam literature dates back to 300 BC to 300 ad.
• The most prominent visual art forms of Tamil Nadu are Chola Bronze cultures, Tanjore paintings. They have received worldwide recognitions.

Why is it important to set up the Tamil Academy in Delhi?

The number of people born outside Delhi was 3.7 million in 1991. This is more than half of population of Delhi. Delhi holds large number of immigrants from South Indian states such as Tamil Nadu and Kerala, East Indian states such as Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha and Bengal. Therefore, it is important to give equal importance to all the languages and cultures of people from different parts of India.

Apart from Hindi, the other languages that have official language status in Delhi are Urdu, Punjabi and English.

Why is Delhi so diverse in culture?

The people residing in the banks of Yamuna river were the original natives of Delhi. On the other hand, the city has attracted a large number of immigrants as a historical capital and the prominent City. When the Britishers shifted their capital from Kolkata to Delhi a large number of Bengalis migrated to Delhi. Also, after the partition of India in 1947 and large number of people, especially the Punjabis and sindhis migrated to Delhi.

Month: Current Affairs - January, 2021