Parithimar Kalaignar
{{Short description|Tamil writer (1870–1903)}}
{{Redirect-synonym|Kalaignar|M. Karunanidhi}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}
{{ infobox writer
| name = V. G. Suryanarayana Sastri
| image = Parithimaar kalaignar.jpg
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| pseudonym = Parithimar Kalaignar, Sastri
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| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1870|07|6}}
| birth_place = Vilacheri near Thirupparankundram, Madura District, British India
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1903|11|02|1870|08|11}}
| death_place = Madras, British India
| occupation = Tamil pundit
| language = Tamil
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Parithimar Kalaignar (born V. G. Suryanarayana Sastri at Vilacheri near Thirupparankundram on 6 July 1870{{cite web|title=PARITHIMAR KALAIGNAR NINAIVU ILLAM|url=http://tndipr.gov.in/memorials/parithimarkalaignarninaivuillam.html|website=Information and Public Relations Department, Tamil Nadu, India|access-date=11 August 2016}} – 2 November 1903), a Professor of Tamil at the Madras Christian College, was the first person to campaign for the recognition of Tamil as a classical language.{{cite news | title= Contributions of personalities to Tamil enrichment recalled | date=18 August 2007 | url = http://www.hindu.com/2007/08/18/stories/2007081861401000.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080108040000/http://www.hindu.com/2007/08/18/stories/2007081861401000.htm | url-status = dead | archive-date = 8 January 2008 | work= The Hindu | access-date = 9 September 2008}}{{cite news | last= Saravanan | first= T. | title= Suryanarayana Sastri's house to be converted into a memorial | date=11 September 2006 | url = http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/11/stories/2006091117480200.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080918002919/http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/11/stories/2006091117480200.htm | url-status = dead | archive-date = 18 September 2008 | work= The Hindu | access-date = 9 September 2008}}
Life
Suryanarayana Sastri was born at Vilacheri near Thirupparankundram in a Tamil Brahmin family to Govindan Sivan.{{Cite web|url=http://www.tntdpc.com/government/tdc.pdf |title=TAMIL DEVELOPMENT – CULTURE AND RELIGIOUS ENDOWMENTS DEPARTMENT, POLICY NOTE 2006 – 2007, Demand No. 46 |access-date=9 September 2008 |publisher=Tamil Nadu Government |year=2006–2007 |author=M. Karunanidhi |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720083730/http://www.tntdpc.com/government/tdc.pdf |archive-date=20 July 2008 }}{{Cite web |title=Suryanarayanan biography |url=https://thefederal.com/features/did-tamil-reformist-shun-his-sanskrit-name-or-just-pick-a-nom-de-plume/}} He studied philosophy and after graduation was soon employed as a Professor of Tamil in the Madras Christian College. In 1895, Suryanarayana Sastri rose to become the Head of Department for Tamil at the Madras Christian College.
Campaign for recognition of Tamil as classical language
Suryanarayana Sastri had immense love for Tamil and wrote plenty of books. He even changed his Sanskrit name to its Tamil translation (although "Parithi" பரிதி and "Kalai" கலை are Dravidian loanwords from Sanskrit परिधि and कला, respectively).{{cite book | title=The Tamils and Their Culture| last=Sastri| first=K. S. Ramaswami| year=1967| pages=47| publisher=Annamalai University| location=Chennai | isbn=81-7755-405-0}}
When the Madras University proposed to exclude Tamil from its syllabus, Parithimar Kalaignar vehemently protested against the proposal forcing the authorities to drop the move. In 1902, he proposed that Tamil be designated as a "classical language" thereby becoming the first person to make such a petition. Parithimar Kalignar is also known as Dravida Sastri.{{cite news | title= Parithimar Kalaignar' memorial opened | date=1 November 2007 | url = http://www.hindu.com/2007/11/01/stories/2007110161471000.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071102194627/http://www.hindu.com/2007/11/01/stories/2007110161471000.htm | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2 November 2007 | work= The Hindu | access-date = 9 September 2008}}
Parithimar Kalaignar was also the first to use the Tamil name Kumarinadu for the mythical lost-land of Lemuria.{{cite book | title=Fabulous Geographies Catastrophic Histories: The Lost Land of Lemuria| last=Ramaswamy| first=Sumathi| year=2005| pages=104| publisher=Orient Longman| isbn=978-81-7824-110-4}}
Death
Paritihimar Kalaignar died in 1903 due to tuberculosis at the age of 33.
Legacy
File:Parithimar Kalaignar 2007 stamp of India.jpg
Parithimar Kalaignar is regarded as an inspiration for Tamil enthusiasts as Maraimalai Adigal and the Tanittamil Iyakkam.
In 2006, the Government of Tamil Nadu declared Parithimar Kalaignar's house in his native village of Vilacheri as a memorial and sanctioned a sum of {{INRConvert|1.5|m|year=2006|lk=r}} towards nationalizing his books.{{Cite web|url=http://www.tn.gov.in/budget/archives/budsp07_08_3.htm |title=Budget Speech 2007–2008 |access-date=9 September 2008 |publisher=Government of Tamil Nadu |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080924210632/http://www.tn.gov.in/budget/archives/budsp07_08_3.htm |archive-date=24 September 2008 }}
On 17 August 2007, postage stamps were issued in memory of Saint Vallalar, Parithimar Kalaignar and Maraimalai Adigal.{{cite journal | author=Madhukar Jhingan, Savita Jhingan| title=The News, Views, & Features on Philately & Postal Services of India| journal=Stamps of India Collectors Companion| year=2007| issue=303| page=2| url=http://www.stampsofindia.com/newssite/Download/303.pdf}}
On 13 December 2006, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi extended an amount of {{INRConvert|1.5|m|year=2006}} to the Tamil scholar's descendants.{{cite news | title= பரிதிமாற் கலைஞர் வாரிசுகளுக்கு ரூ15 லட்சம் (CM extends help to Parithimar Kalaignar's family) | date=14 December 2006 | url = http://thatstamil.oneindia.in/news/2006/12/02/cm.html | work =Greynium Informnation Technologies Pvt. Ltd. | language=ta |access-date = 9 September 2008}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Parithimar Kalaignar}}
- {{Internet Archive author |sname=Parithimar Kalaignar}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kalaignar, Parithimar}}
Category:Tamil-language writers
Category:Tamil language activists