Preserving their culture

The first few Tamilians to settle in Pune were the ones who were employed by the British to work in the various accounts department and the ...

The first few Tamilians to settle in Pune were the ones who were employed by the British to work in the various accounts department and the factories such as those of the ammunition and high explosives that are part of the Khadki landscape. Their primary qualification was simple and Tamilians could read and write English since Madras Presidency had been under the British rule since 1639. By the time they came to Pune it was approximately 1855.

Soon a large Tamilian population had come up in Khadki. 8220;Most of them cherished the dream of returning to their homes in Tamil Nadu,8221; explains S Kanakraj, general secretary of the South Indian Association SIA. But as the families grew up in Pune, they studied in local schools, learnt the local language, adjusted to the climate and finally, married first generation Tamilians like themselves or into the local community. Most have now come to accept Pune as their home.

But as Kanakraj says, 8220;We are the torch bearers of our culture and we do all we can to maintain it.8221; This is where the SIA comes in. It was formed in 1924, initially known as the Suvirdha Vilas Sabha SVS, and the aim was to start a school for Tamilian children to teach them their mother tongue, as Kanakraj puts it, and to maintain their culture. Initially only evening classes were held, with Tamil as the medium of instruction. However the school was slowly built up to Std X. The connection with Tamil Nadu remained strong. Until 1960 examinations were held in Pune but the papers were evaluated in Tamil Nadu and the certificates were also issued from there. Now the school wears a more multi-cultural garb and only the managing committee represents their cultural identity.

Slowly more and more parents wanted the medium of instruction to change to English to give their children the edge. The SIA conceded to their demand and restructured the syllabus so that students would study Tamil till Std V and then switch over to English where Tamil and Marathi would be taught as second languages. But Kanakraj explains, 8220;The transition for many students from Tamil to English was difficult and therefore we started another primary school, an English medium school. Now parents have the choice of English or Tamil medium schools8221;.

But in a school where fluency in English is considered an advantage, what sort of a response does the Tamil medium school get? Says Kanakraj, 8220;The situation has changed. Earlier getting employment in factories was easy. But now with the falling employment, it is not so easy. A large section of the Tamilian settlement is from what I call the weaker sections. Without this education they would lose out completely. We give preference to Tamilians. That is the advantage of having a Tamil medium school. There is no commercial motive behind the school8221;.

8220;The school is used as a clubhouse after the school hours. This is where Tamilians can meet, converse in their language, read Tamilian newspapers. Dramas and poetry reading are supposed to be a part of the curriculum in which children can participate,8221; says Kanakraj. He has strong views on the advantages of education in one8217;s own tongue. He himself has done his entire schooling in Tamil and he says, 8220;One can understand one8217;s own culture through the writings of forefathers. After all, a writer writes about the society at that time. Starting with an English education means a lower appreciation of one8217;s own culture8221;.

The SIA have just held elections after a decade due to some internal disputes. With this fresh lease of life, the SIA now plans to start a junior college and computer classes.