Celebrities like Kamal Haasan often express opinions on matters of which they possess neither the authority nor the understanding. Thomas Sowell notes that such conduct reflects a common delusion among popular figures, who mistakenly believe that expertise in one area grants them the right to speak on all others.
The Dravidian movement, initiated by Periyar, exploits the speculative Aryan Invasion Theory to categorise most North Indians and Tamil Brahmins as Aryans and the rest of the Tamils as indigenous Dravidians. Additional claims include assertions that Tamil predates its rival Sanskrit and that there exists a completely distinct Dravidian culture. However, archaeology, inscriptional studies, ancient coins, and the rich Sangam literature strongly contradict these assertions.
Archaeological evidence indicates that urban civilisation in Tamil Nadu emerged two and a half millennia after Indus cities. Current findings suggest that the earliest Tamil kingdoms were established around the fourth century BCE, with urban developments occurring a century or two later. Excavations reveal that culturally, the people of the South shared many beliefs and practices with those in other parts of the subcontinent. Tamil culture placed significant importance on the cult of the dead and ancestors, mirroring aspects of Vedic culture. The coins from the Pandya era provide substantial evidence of Vedic sacrifices and Vedic-Puranic symbols.
The Sangam literature (300 BCE to 300 CE), encompassing texts such as Tolkappiyam, Kural, and Purananuru, contains numerous references to Vedic sacrifices, with no mention of conflict between Aryans and Dravidians. As with the organic development of any language, Tamil has assimilated and incorporated between 20% and 40% of its commonly used vocabulary from Sanskrit.
The term ‘Dravida’ does not appear in the Tolkappiyam, which is the oldest surviving work on Tamil grammar, literature, and linguistics. Sage Tayumanvar first used it in the eighteenth century. In Vedic-Puranic-Itihaasic literature, the term ‘Arya’ denotes a noble individual, whereas ‘Dravida’ had a strictly geographical connotation.
The temples and devotional literature produced by the Alwars, the Nayanmars, and other seekers exhibit a profound integration of Vedic-Sanskritic elements into Tamil. The Tamil genius has made significant contributions to temple architecture, music, dance, and literature, influencing both the North and other South Asian countries. The term ‘Dravidian’ retains meaning in both its historical geographical sense and its modern linguistic context; attributing racial or entirely distinct cultural meanings is unscientific and irrational.
Each region of India has developed according to its unique characteristics while remaining true to the overarching Indian spirit. These artificial divisions are colonial narratives that both the educated and the general public have internalised. The long-lasting Indian culture has existed for thousands of years and includes all three human groups (Caucasoid, Mongoloid, and Negroid), six language families (Indo-European, Dravidian, Austric, Sino-Tibetan, Burushaski, and Andamanese), many traditions (both Vedic and non-Vedic), and various religions interacting in an organic and peaceful manner while evolving. We are one people and one land. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, statements such as “Tamil gave rise to Kannada” only fuel dangerous conflicts. We do not require this.
RANDOM MUSINGS 