A letter to Tamizh thatha of 2010

Dear Thatha,

I would like to address you as Tamizh thatha than as Mr. K. Karunanidhi :). Belated Bday Wishes! I hope you celebrate many more birthdays with the same zest but not at the same expense. Firstly, I'm glad that you decided to donate your famous Gopalapuram house to run a free hospital in the future. Although this was your plan -B for celebration this year, I'm glad the plan -A got delayed by couple of weeks.

I belong to TamilNadu and I have spent most of my life in your state. I'm currently living in another state. From the time I understood politics and showed some interest in it, I remember seeing your photograph in the newspaper everyday. Irrespective of whether you rule, you always seem to have something to say. Today, I decided to write to you and ask you ever single question that's been popping up for the last few years. I also want to advice you on a few things.

If your basking on the success of Tamil conference, Please try to be practical and do something useful for your people at least for the last few years left. I'm a Tamilian and of the 6000 + languages in the world ( Internet gave me this figure. I'm sure you use Internet for your official work but with Tamil fonts ) the only two languages that I can speak are Tamil and English (Thanks to you for not exposing the people of your state to anything more than this). I also remember liking you for the same reason. But, this was while @ school. Yes! I was happy that I had one subject less compared to my cousins who studied in the CBSE board. But, you were old when I was a kid and why the hell did you think we elected you to halt our progress and restrict our opportunities by not letting us learn our national language. Do you even realize that India is our country and that Tamilnadu is just a state in this big nation. Do you know that because of your vindictive motive, we Tamilians find it extremely difficult to live in any other state in our country? In fact we can stay outside our country easily, but not in any other state within our country. You raised a huge virtual wall along the borders with the neighboring states. (Now, don't ask me how is it possible that half the population in Blore are Tamilians and how SETC and KSRTC are running with huge profits every year - The answer is simple. Blore is metropolitan in the true sense and they welcome people from other states. They're open to learning any language and they've learnt our beloved , sorry ' your beloved' Tamil )

Because of the IT boom ( I'm sure you remember that you're not responsible for this ), many outsiders are forced to live in Chennai. They consider this as a punishment and are de-motivated to work for the employer, if asked to from Chennai. I'm not exaggerating when I say, people choose unemployment over a job @ Chennai. They compare living in Chennai with living in Sahara. I feel ashamed and have to pose a sorry face (Only because of your foolish love for the language) when my friends visit Chennai for a day for their visa stamping and come back and narrate the experience as if they escaped from a Jungle. I don't think they exaggerate. How the hell do you think they'll read the shop names in Tamil, Name boards in the buses in Tamil, Street names in Tamil, Auto guys speak only Tamil, Street-cornner-bajji-kadai guy speaks only Tamil. Can you survive in US all alone for more than a week ( I not very confident about your English language skills as I have hardly heard you speak English )

Do you think the city will grow?. Do you think we will have many foreign investors? ( we will for all manual jobs where language isn't an issue). Do you think we will attract the best talent of the nation if we don't change with changing times? It's not enough that the city boasts of it's heritage and culture, it should also be accommodating. In which language will you even explain your heritage to the outsiders if they don't know English? Please open your eyes and make a better path at least for the future generations. I hope your sons will be smarter and use a better weapon other than Tamil to get votes.

Today's newspaper says that you want to make Tamil the language of union government. I'm sorry - couldn't control my laughter on reading this. Please tell me how are people benefited from this? And do you expect Dr. Manmohan singh to Declare this in Tamil. He might just kill the language ( he is not to be blamed. It's difficult for him to pronounce 'zh'. Don't trouble him pls). The newspaper also said that you've spent 400 crore on this Tamil conference - I tell you clearly that I don't want the tax that I pay be splashed on something that won't change the life of anyone including you. Btw, do your grand children know to speak at all? - just curious (am I not a typical Tamilian? :))

Okay, keeping the Tamil story aside, I want to ask you about your famous schemes (Infamous among youth actually). While I was in school, my Tamil book always had a lesson about the the Government. I remember reading about Mr. K. Kamaraj and Mr. M. G. Ramachandran. I still remember how much I respected them for their Mid-Day meals scheme. I can't imagine that my children have read abouut you and then they'll also read that he was the one who offered colour Televisions for the poor people. I don't know what to answer, if the cildren ask me, "Amma, Is color television one of the necessities in life?" Please answer this question too. Do you know this popular saying "Roti, Makhan aur kapda" (Sorry again! Here is the translation in English - Food, shelter and clothing" ) these are the most important things in life and there are thousands out there who don't have access to it. Will you please use the money in the treasury judiciously and find ways for the people to earn it themselves. Believe me, you'll get many more votes if you think along those lines than on lines of color television and cable channel ( of course you may not fill your personal treasury in the process. But, you've earned enough and it's time you thought about the innocent people of your state than about your family).

Finally, here's my piece of advice. You're quite old. you'll beat Jyoti Basu and create a record in a year. Be happy with it and hand over the mantle to the younger generation (Don't worry. no one will beat your record as we youngsters don't have healthy eating habits and might not live up to your age. Also, we're sane and will pass on the baton early ). Younger generation doesn't really refer to your family alone. It means general younger generation.So, give a chance for the passionate, educated and informed youngsters. Be clean and hence be a role-model to your ministry. It's high time you stopped copying from other states ( even paintings on the wall. Shame it is. Please put your brains and computers to some use and come up with innovative schemes for the welfare of the public). Take advice from peers (from other states) but don't copy. Stop your anti-Hindi propaganda and start learning Hindi. Encourage people to learn their national language. Collaborate with the union government and don't spend your lifetime by just threatening them. Be open to new ideas (like the new secretariat - I appreciate your efforts for it) and please don't splash the money on such conferences. We're still a developing nation and not very rich. We need to use the money in a better way (Talk to your finance minister about it). Finally,on the personal side, come up with better scripts like the Parasakthi one. I can't stand to watch your new movies. Quit politics and start contributing to Tamil with your expertise in the language.

Take good care.

Regards,

Indian citizen.