HVK Archives: Tamil culture, product of dialogic activities
Tamil culture, product of dialogic activities - The Hindu
Posted By Ashok V Chowgule (ashokvc@giasbm01.vsnl.net.in)
09 September 1996
Title : `Tamil culture, product of dialogic activities'
Author :
Publication : The Hindu
Date : September 09, 1996
There were two theories about colonialism in India-one
arguing that British colonialism destroyed the capacity
of Indians to think independently and the other emphasis-
ing that long before coming of the British. Indian socie-
ty was moving in the directing of prefiguring colonial-
ism. As a result, historians of Tamil Nadu would have to
confront with these theories and the extent that they did
so would illustrate their capacity to understand the
kings of interactions that have been taking place in the
Tamil country for many hundred of years, said Dr. Hegene
F. Irschick, Professor, Department of History. University
of California, here on Saturday.
He was delivering an address on `Theories of Colonialism
and the History of Tamil Nadu', after inaugurating the
third annual session of the Tamil Nadu History Congress
hosted by the Centre for History, Bharathidasan Universi-
ty.
Pointing out that these two perspectives were of impor-
tance to the historians of Tamil Nadu. Dr. Irschick, a
Fullbright scholar now engaged in the documentation of
the archives of Tamil Nadu which he hopes to complete in
the next two years, observed, "I take the view that Tamil
culture or Tamil nationalism is not `derivative' as some
historians would like to say, but a product of dialogic
activities. In my thinking the production of Tamil cul-
ture was not strictly the result of foreigners who acted
in a unilateral way. In fact, my suggestion is foreigners
like Bishop Caldwell, G. U. Pope or Francis White Ellis
became very much affected by Tamil culture. I have many
instances of missionaries who are considered to be the
quintessential colonial agents as admitting that their
own teaching and preaching of Christianity was dramati-
cally altered by the study of Saiva Siddhantha and Tamil
bakthi."
Dr. S. V. Chittibabu, President, Tamil Nadu History
Congress, releasing the congress abstract volume said
that epitomising the royal families was no longer his-
tory. The teachers, he regretted, failed to present
history to the students in all its perspectives, for
history reflected that total contribution of the people
and the society not at the highest level alone but at the
grassroots levels too.
Dr. K. R. Hanumanthan, general president of the session
releasing the proceeding of the second annual session
held at Annamalai University and delivering the presiden-
tial address, spoke about the importance of microlevel
research in local history of Tamil Nadu. He is also a
member of an expert committee constituted by the State
Government to overlook work on a comprehensive history of
Tamil Nadu.
Dr. V. R. Muthukkaruppan, Vice Chancellor, Bharatidasan
University, president over the inaugural function. Dr C.
Thangamuthu, Registrar of the University, welcomed the
delegates. Dr. N. Rajendran, local secretary and Head,
Centre for History, Bharathidasan University, Proposed a
vote of thanks.
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