For all his achievements, M Karunanidhi had a small but telling vacuum in his CV. Despite becoming chief minister five times, he was yet to host a mega literary conference.
Muhammad bin Tuglaq may have moved his durbar from New Delhi to Devagiri out of impetuosity, but Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi has moved his administrative machinery to Coimbatore for a literary cause.
For all his achievements, the 86-year-old DMK patriarch had a small but telling vacuum in his CV. Despite becoming chief minister five times, he was yet to host a mega literary conference. His archrivals, the late MG Ramachandran, and J Jayalalithaa (both ADMK), had hosted international Tamil conferences in the state.
This edition of the World Classical Tamil Conference, to be held from June 23 to 27, is probably an effort to rectify the lacuna. So determined is the chief minister to make the event a success that he has moved the entire state machinery to Coimbatore. The fest will be inaugurated by president Prathibha Patil on Wednesday.
Finnish Indologist Asko Parpola, who is professor emeritus at University of Helisinki, and University of California’s professor George L Hart will attend the inaugural function. Parpola will be conferred the M Karunanidhi Classical Tamil Award.
The theme song for the conference has been written by Karunanidhi amd set to tune by AR Rahman. As many as 1,000 delegates from 47 countries have registered to participate.
Scholars from the US, the UK, Brunei, Congo, Denmark, Iran, Poland, UAE and Singapore have been invited to present papers. Prominent international experts to participate in the conference include professor Schiffman (US), professor Jean-Luc Chevillard (France), professor Ulrike Niklas (Germany) and Lisa Moore (IBM).
Two Russian litterateurs with keen interest in Tamil literature, 24-year-old Anna Alexeeva and 69-year-old Alexander Dubianskiy, are also looking forward to strengthen their links with the language. “I will be present two papers and hope it also becomes a part of the publication that is being proposed after the conference. I began learning Tamil in Moscow in 1965 and it is my endeavour to ensure that more Russians are exposed to this ancient language,” Dubianskiy said during his brief stopover in Chennai.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}