Call for apex body to track research on Tamil

Sri Lankan Tamil scholar K Sivathamby on Thursday called for the establishment of an exclusive institution to coordinate the research done on Tamil language and literature by various universities in the world.
Presiding over the inaugural function of the research sessions as part of the World Classical Tamil Conference,
the scholar suggested that the new institution involve Tamil scholars across the globe in its functioning. The Tamil Nadu government should take steps to publish the outcome of the research done on Tamil by various universities.
Pointing out that universities in countries like the United States publish the outcome of researches done every year so that the research on topics left out could be taken up in the coming years, Sivathamby said the situation prevailing in Tamil Nadu was different as universities in Madurai and Tirunelveli do not know what was happening at Chennai.
Urging the education minister or the standing committee of the universities to coordinate the research and publish them annually, Sivathamby said Chief Minister M Karunanidhi should ensure that the institution is a permanent one.
IT'S THOLSEER TAMIL
Sivathamby also observed that calling Tamil as Chemmozhi would not be sufficient to convey its antiquity and hoary tradition. The appropriate translation of classical language would be Tholseer Chemmozhi.
Greek and Romanian cultures have been described as the earliest civilizations of the world. But scholars assert that the Indus valley civilization predated them. Scholars should do research on this topic, Sivathamby said.
Tamil was the one language that had given room for many religions in the world that have contradictory views, including Christianity, Islam, Shaivism, Buddhism, and Vaishnavism, he said and added that the relationship between Tamil and other Dravidian languages should be explored in detail.