Chapter
17: Assembly of Tamils
….
The full moon
shining in perfect circular shape is throwing its light on a sprawling orchard
full of tall trees standing along its broader banks created by the sand dunes
in the course of obstructing the downstream flow of the river. The sweet breeze
of Tamil land is blowing across. Some of the men of the city of Madurai are whiling
away their time merrymaking. The golden bowls brought by the ships of Yavanas are filled with purified toddy and shining with smiles. The singers are singing
songs with Palliyam (A musical instrument). The danseuses are busy dancing.
As the
singing and dancing are over, those ‘wise men’ now indulge in pouring out
truths as much as their brains could fathom and discuss it.
Suddenly a
war cry of drum announcing impending war is heard- the Kannada and Andhra
soldiers wielding spears, the cavalry of Maratha soldiers, and British and
French soldiers sitting in canons appear one after the other, quickly running.
The men
sitting in the court start running, disperse, keep running, running…and then
disappear.
The scene
slowly fades away…fading slowly…and finally disappears.
(Beyond the
window grills of Penang’s Nanyang hotel, the pleasant moon spreading its rays
in golden and yellow is rising slowly in the horizon. The stars around it are emitting
sparkling smiles. Inside the hall-the faces…yes, they resemble Tamil faces)
Naavannaa sings:
“The
pasty saffron powder strewn around
From
the coition of men and women
Totter
of inebriation everywhere.
It
is Madurai, the city of southern Kings”
Auditor
sings:
“The
morning seen with rainbows
Like
the flowers strewn around
By
the people who bargained in the evening.
It is Uranthai (Uraiyur), the city of spear-wielding Great Cholas.”
Adigal
sings:
“Elephants
extend their trunks to their partners
In
the play of love the land gets wet with their sperms and boggy
as
they trample on it.
It is Vanji, the city where sweet streams of river flow.”
Manikkam: My dear Tamil friends! These verses are available in
Muthollayiram. They indicate the deteriorating social conditions of
Tamil Nadu. Try reciting it once yourself. You would find that they talk about
only carnal pleasure …sex… and only sex.
Pandian: Any society which seeks pleasure in sex crossing its
limits due to its arrogance of being wealthy would definitely go into ruins.
Manikkam: Sex is a cousin of arrogance. The price of its
arrogance is transgression. And, the result is ruin.
Pandian: Any society which is destined to face its ruin would
first nurture the boundless desire for sex. Unbridled sexual pursuit needs
money. This gives birth to a belief that one can do any sin in life for money.
This belief that money is everything results in debasing the factors that keep a
society intact and the eventual disappearance of personal values. The humane
characteristics of humans would thus get faded away. The best example to
explain this is the decline of Babylon.
Adigal:
Do you mean the
pursuit for sexual pleasure and wealth is fundamentally a sin? If the
materialistic pursuit is for satiating sex and the wealth is used for charity,
then you must accede to that both sexual pleasure and wealth are essentials of
life.
Pandian: What Adigal means is the pleasure and wealth one
seeks being within family life. Here the pleasure means the happiness of giving
away charity and earning wealth with one’s sheer talent and hard work through the
means that do not harm others.
Manikkam:
Why did Babylon
which was once called as the light of the world get perished? The history
declares that it was due to perpetual pursuit of pleasure. During its ending
days, the youths of that metropolis were roaming the streets wearing golden
floral garlands around their necks with colourful pastes on their cheeks, eye
liners in eyes, and lipstick thickening their lips. All types of immoral
relations emerged. The time arrived where one did feel that he didn’t have to
feel ashamed of its public display.
Pandian: When the Babylonians were relishing their pursuit of
pleasures, their arch enemy Cyrus, the Persian king invaded on their land. The
enemy was at the door step, demolishing their fortress but there was no one to
stop him. The men who had the responsibility of stopping him were roaming with
coloured pastes and golden coloured floral garlands on streets and dancing like
eunuchs. The Big Temple priests who were scheming to kill the king of Babylon
opened the fort’s gates and gave the enemy entry. Let this ruin of Babylon remain the greatest
lesson on this earth for others to learn.
Manikkam:
How did Sumeria,
Syria and Phoenicia decline and disappear? The cities of Urr, Nineva, and Dyer
were ruined and buried. Why? It is all because of the pursuit of pleasure…pleasure….pleasure.
Sex is a cousin of arrogance. The price of it is transgression. And, the result
is ruin.
Pandian:
Why did it so happen
that the land of Tamils had been a puppet for thousands of years? Be it
Malikkafur, or Zulfiquor Khan, or Kambana Udaiyan, or Laxmana Nayakkan, or Shahaji,
or Vengoji, or Duple or Clive. They could plunder this land as they liked. Couldn’t
they? It is all because of our ancestors’ proclivity towards seeking pleasure. I
am talking about those men who were at the helm of affairs. Most of the Tamils,
be it present or past, are addicted to pursuit of pleasures. Unbridled pleasure
is the enemy of one’s masculinity; enemy of one’s wisdom. It is indeed a wonder
that we could escape without being uprooted like Sumerians, Syrians and Phoenicians.
Isn’t it?
Adigal:
This instance is
one of the finest examples that proves the unparalleled stature of Tamil
community. Dear friends, it is the finest example anyway Sumeria, Syria and Phoenicia
were all gone. But our Tamil society has still been thriving since ages when sand
and stones weren’t even formed. How? It is the exclusive characteristic of our
Tamil society.
Sathaiah: If there is one good reason for Tamil to live since
ages, I wouldn’t suffer from any inhibitions to say that it is nothing other
than Tamil language. What is that did the Lord Shiva, the magnificent God
having his third eye, scrutinise sitting along with the learned courtiers? What
is it that was born in Pothigai hills, pampered by the fame of South kings, and
nurtured under the aegis of Sangam? What is it that gave birth to Valluvan and
Elango to this world? It is our chaste Tamil language…ancient Tamil language…ever
green Tamil language. It is the symbol of Tamil pride. It is the maiden goddess
standing guard for ever to save the land of Tamils.
Manikkam: If you want to uplift the Tamil society, you must
come out of this inebriated talk about the Pothigai hills. Till then, no constructive
efforts would find their way. Utterances like ‘See the Thirukkural’, See The
Silappathigaram, See the Tanjavur Big Temple’, ‘See the grand dam built across
Kaveri River’ are being raised without much of meanings in it.
Adigal: Meaningless utterances? What do you mean by it? Tell
me now which race had displayed such a mammoth body of writings and inherent strength
before Tamil? Tell me…Tell me…”.
Pandian:
Adigal’s words
are just a proof how much important it is for one to get trained in world
history. Many centuries ago before the Tanjavur Big Temple and the Grand Kaveri
Dam were constructed, Pharaohs of Egypt had successfully completed Pyramids.
The Babylonians had already built a tunnel of fifteen feet breadth and twelve
feet height under the perennially flowing Euphrates River.
Manikkam:
It is pertinent
to note that Tamils do not enjoy any special status in the field of literature
as well. Many didactic pieces of literature nearly akin to Thirukkural had been
written in many parts of the world. As far our epics are concerned, nothing
much to say about them.
Pandian: Recently I have read the translation of an advice
letter written by an Egyptian minister namely Fda-hothaip to his son. It
appeared that he had written it after mastering the Thirukural. Only
disappointment is the period in which it was written. That letter had been
written three thousand years before Thirukural was written.
Adigal: You wouldn’t dare speak such things if you knew the
profound books of Tamil land that were either burnt down in fire or sunk under
water and the tall buildings that went into ruins. Never you dare…Ahh….Who else
knows the pride of Tamil? It is the waters and fires of the olden city of
Madurai that knows it all.
Pandian: Many a good ancient book and glorious citadels in
different countries had gone to dust. It is not an exclusively special attribute
only to Tamil Nadu. It would thus be foolish to be proud of such things. Sophocles, the great Greek
playwright had written more than hundred plays but we had access only to seven.
Adigal: Sophocles? Who’s that guy?
Pandian: Adigal may not know about him. Had he known about
him, his literary outlook would have been diff…….
Sathaiah: You both were born as Tamils. Yet, you are
speaking with furtive motives without any attachment towards Tamil. Aren’t you?
Are you trying to say that Tamil is the meanest language ever spoken in the
world and Tamils hadn’t done anything productively?
Manikkam: The achievements of Tamils in literature and some
other fields are indeed laudable. But it is wrong to be assertive that one
could never find a better language than Tamil and there wouldn’t be talented
persons other than Tamils. It is no wrong in being proud of one’s race, its
antiquity and its achievements. But it should be on the basis of facts.
Pandian: The pride that is being built of deceptive beliefs
would turn into self- pity when it meets with reality.
Auditor: True…true….
Naavannaa: It is alright. Now tell me the way in which
Tamils along with others from this Indian subcontinent could march on the path
of progress. Tell me that.
Manikkam: The first and foremost requirement for progress is
the hope. Secondly, we must get rid of old habits that do not suit the present
and be ready to grasp the new opportunities.
Adigal: Tamils are not the ones who wish to live in the past
with false pride. I would like to remind you of our great men’s words, “Let the
old go away and the embrace the new. We do it anyway.
Manikkam: Good to hear you. But how far are we serious
enough to follow these golden words? What are the destructive forces afflicting
our country? How many of us are capable of explaining the reasons as to why
those evil forces haven’t yet disappeared, and the means of getting rid of
them?
Naavannaa: The worst evil among all is caste. It should be
exterminated first.
Sathaiah: It is because of caste system, one caste is able
to exploit other castes.
Manikkam: Exploitation doesn’t have anything to do with
caste. Those who do particular type of a job would get some amount of expertise
in it and get used to the type of living it demands. For instance, a lawyer, no
matter if he is a Brahmin or Muthaliyar, his sole motive in life would be
nothing other than winning the cases and amassing wealth from his clients as
much as he could. Those who run industries, no matter if he is a Chettiar or
Nayakkan, his singular aim in life would be producing materials with lowest
investment and selling it at highest prices and thus ensuring enviable profit
margin.
Pandian: No matter whether the person is from Chakkiliyar
caste or Jain community, if he happens to be a shoe maker, his only aim in life
would be a greater number of cattle death and subsequent slash in the cost of
hide.
Auditor: As long as the caste pride gets perished, there is
no salvation to our people.
Manikkam: The requirement of collective safety cover for a
society is the reason why the caste system had turned into an aggressive mode
of expression. Since our country was ruled since ages by kings and looters without
any set morals, ordinary people’s innocuous arrangement made for their personal
safety network had grown into a strong frantic attachment of caste after generations.
Only when a situation arises in which both individual and collective appeals
would bring out similar nature of justice, the caste system will lose its relevance.
Pandian: The importance of caste is likely to wane shortly.
People from villages are moving to urban industrial towns in large numbers.
There wouldn’t be any question of asking one’s caste when everyone is working under
the same roof of one industry wearing similar uniforms and doing similar jobs.
Sathaiah: It might take long to reach there. Inter caste
marriage is the only potent weapon which can eliminate caste system.
Adigal: Yes…Yes…Yes
Naavannaa: I too think so.
Auditor: This is my viewpoint too.
Pandian: Caste system cannot be eliminated by the mere
display of relationship between lower caste Athanur Nandanars and higher caste Thillai
Moovayirathaar. Clarity of thought is the primary requirement for any social
reforms.
Sathaiah: What is the genesis of caste system which takes
away productive energy of our people?
Pandian: A social structure emerges according to the
demands of time and place. The caste system prevailed in almost all the
societies in different names. In due course it had changed its colours. So we
need not be ashamed of our caste system. The question is whether we need caste
system in vogue in the present situation.
Manikkam: Those who are fighting for their caste are not
exactly fighting to safe guard the inherent benefits of caste, rather they
fight just to gain advantages in the name of caste. All what a Tamil man wants
today is money, good job and educational degree. Let’s not get into scrutinizing
whether these ideals are perfect in itself. If these are attainable without the
help of caste or one cannot get all these just with the help of caste, no one
would insist one’s caste. The demon called caste would die by itself.
Naavannaa: No differences of opinion in annihilating caste.
But would just annihilation of caste be enough to take this society to
progress?
Pandian: Of course not enough. As far as I know,
elimination of caste shouldn’t be our priority. Spreading an inclusive
understanding should be our first priority. For a broad mind stemming out of natural
intelligence these discriminations based on caste, religion, race and language
are just childish demarcations.
Adigal: It is alright anyway. What is the actual cause of Tamils’
debasement? While other communities that are visibly backward in many aspects are
marching on progressive path, why is the Tamil society lagging behind?
Manikkam: Societies also have birth-growth, ageing-death just
like humans. The societies which refuse to acquire renewed strength with
changing times will acquire the character of a bull yoked onto an oil crushing
machine and spend their remaining days like live corpses. Sometimes they would
perish too.
Adigal: What should we do first for the betterment of our
society?
Pandian: We must change the ‘frog-in-the-well’ attitude of
Tamils. Along with it, we must take steps to spread the sense of duty among
them to ensure that the action plan we have derived out of intense scrutiny are
being followed scrupulously.
Adigal: Yes…Yes…Let’s put it aside now. Friends, I have a doubt
bugging me for long. The Thondaiyars who fought striding obedient elephants; The
Cholas who used to beat drums whose noise would intimidate rains; Kongars from
high lands commanding brave army; The royal Cheras who ruled with shining
swords and army- where are the descendants of these royal men and what are they
doing now?
Pandian: They are collecting rubber in Malaya.
Manikkam: They are tweaking the tea leaves in Sri Lanka.
Naavannaa: They are carrying loaded bales on their back in
Burma.
Sathaiah: They are cutting sugar cane plants in Guyana.
Auditor: They are begging everywhere in the Indian
subcontinent.
Adigal: O! Tamils! Isn’t there any way to change their pathetic
state of life?
Pandian: Yes. There is a way.
Naavannaa: O! Tamils! It is dawned. Birds are screeching. The
rustle of Chinese businessmen has started. Let’s move now. Get ready.
Pandian: Yes. We can leave now.
Adigal: Yesterday’s darkness has gone and there appears a light
of new day. Let’s leave.
Manikkam: Yes. We may leave. It gets late.
Sathaiah: It is already dawned. We ought to see what the new
day has in it for us. Let’s take leave.
Auditor: Let’s all go and face all the troubles of life. Come with me.
(The Nanyang hotel’s “Marriage Hall’ scene fades away. Fading away…..and
disappears)
***Chap
17 “The Assembly of Tamils” ended***
Note: Chap 18 “Midway” will be published soon.
