Ponniyin Selvan Varalaatru Peravai

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/05/08/stories/2009050851030100.htm

Prof. S. Settar has won the Central Sahitya Akademi’s Bhasha Samman award
for his work Sangam Tamilagam



* HONOUR Prof. S. Settar *

Could Kannada be the oldest of the regional language scripts in the
country? It may sound a tall claim, but could be an interesting hypothesis,
says Professor S. Settar, author of the “Sangam Tamilagam” and recipient of
the Central Sahity a Akademi’s Bhasha Samman for the year 2007. *Four
editions, four awards, a major theme for seven seminars and workshops, all
in about fifteen months! This should be very gratifying to you as the author
of the “Sangam Tamilagam”, the book which stole the attention of the Central
Sahitya Academy. How do you feel?*

It would be naive to say that I am not overwhelmed by this response. Every
author desires to be read. If his writing is taken seriously and debated
upon, he finds greater fulfillment. If the debate is in his favour, his
fulfillment is furthered. And if it is recognised by an august national body
such as Central Sahitya Academy, the fulfillment is complete.

*Though a non-fiction, how does one explain this popularity?*

It appeared that till yesterday Kannada reader was more interested in
creative literature than in serious researches, but this is proven otherwise
now. The “Sangam Tamilagam” has perhaps benefited from this new wave. The
vast canvas of the subject matter, including inter-relationships between the
early Dravidian languages, the debate on the origin of scripts, the role of
early Kannada works such as “Kavirajamarga”, and also a happy coincidence of
this publication with the Kannada classical language movement – could have
contributed to its popularity.

*The Tamils are very proud of the Sangam literature and they believe in its
remote antiquity. It is not clear whether you agree or disagree?*

My admiration for the Sangam poetry is unlimited and I believe it had no
parallels at the time of its composition. It is what we call universal
poetry. If the Tamils are proud of it, it is but natural. But we should know
that the Tamils had banned the study of this poetry for centuries, and it
was kept out of the reach of Tamil readers. It was only in the late 19th
century that it was rediscovered. Since then the Tamils have awakened to its
importance. As far as the myths relating to its remote antiquity is
concerned, less said the better. *What is your thesis on the Sangam
literature?*

The major credit for its creation should be given to ancient Tamils. But I
have reasons to believe that it is an outcome of a collective effort of
hundreds of bards who lived within and outside the Tamilagam. Even the
Tamilagam could not contain it to its geographical limits. The poets of the
time identified the ‘outsiders’ as the ‘Vadugars’, meaning northerners.
These northerners were none other than the inhabitants of present Karnataka
and Andhra Pradesh. The poets from the Vaduga land have also contributed
their share to the corpus.

Did script play no role in the early Tamilagam?

It played no role, because there was no script. Script was introduced in
South India by Ashoka Maurya in the third century B.C. Those who were a part
of his empire benefited from it immediately. Those who were outside of his
empire were denied of it. Prakrit language and Brahmi script entered
Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh first at this time. The Tamil script emerged
during the Pallava period (6–7 Century) and attained maturity under the
imperial Cholas. This is why all notable Tamil compilations and commentaries
appear only in the Chola period, in the second millennium A.D.

*Does it mean that Kannada script is older than Tamil? If this is true, what
status does it enjoy in the history of the regional scripts?*

The thesis that I have offered in this book is that there is more evidence
to show that Kannada script was in use in about fourth-fifth century A.D.
This is earlier than Tamil emerged as a full-fledged script. This becomes
clear if we set some rules of the kind that we have set for deciding
classical languages, such as independent character, continuity and capacity.
Though nearly all scripts emerged out of Brahmi, very few of them acquired
the kind of the independence, breaking away from Brahmi, as did Kannada.
This is a complicated history, but it is possible to say that Kannada script
began to emerge as an independent script in about fourth century A.D. It
should be too hasty to say that Kannada is the oldest of the regional
scripts, but I will not be surprised if it touches the tape first.

M.V. VASU

http://www.poetryinstone.in
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