kamal-haasan-an-actor-who-lost-the-language-plot

India is a nation that celebrates linguistic diversity, with multiple languages being woven together to form a vibrant tapestry. Languages are living histories — we should study them with curiosity, not chauvinism.

 

The ongoing row over South Indian film star Kamal Haasan’s claim that Kannada was born out of Tamil is a totally pointless and avoidable controversy. It reflects a deplorable tendency to establish supremacy of one language over the other. Such a hegemonic mindset is anathema to the core idea of unity in diversity.

 

The actor’s refusal to apologise or express regret for his foot-in-the-mouth remark has further complicated the situation with Kannada activists stepping up their protest and blocking the release of his latest movie ‘Thug Life’ in theatres across Karnataka.

 

Kamal Haasan is a versatile and method actor known for doing meticulous research before taking on any role. He acted in multiple language movies, including Hindi. However, since entering politics, the veteran actor seems to be losing the plot frequently and showing a proclivity to make thoughtless and irresponsible remarks on social and political issues.

 

In a state where language is a highly emotive issue that often serves as a political weapon for the Dravidian parties, Kamal appears keen to jump onto this bandwagon by asserting the superiority of Tamil. Clearly, his statement was music to the ears of the bosses in DMK, which recently nominated him to the Rajya Sabha.

 

Ignorant of linguistic history

 

Kamal may be an iconic actor with a massive fan base but is clearly ignorant about the history and evolution of languages. All five major Dravidian languages — Tamil, Telugu, Tulu, Kannada and Malayalam — had originated from a common ancestral language called proto-Dravidian which no longer exists. It may have gotten lost over the years as people migrated to different regions and established individual identities. This mother language can’t be evidenced through fossils like in biology, but linguistic structures and commonalities point toward it.

 

None of these languages was born out of the other but had evolved independently. It is a myth that Tamil is the mother of the rest of the Dravidian languages. They are related, but not in a simplistic mother-child way. The term 'Dravidian' is just a label. In Sanskrit literature, 'Dravida' has referred both to the Tamil language and the geography of South India. That is why in the national anthem, 'Dravida' refers to South India, not just Tamil.

 

Because of their shared ancestry, Tamil and Kannada have similar grammar structures, word formation, and words with common etymology.

 

Often, the languages evolve, imbibing words from other languages and losing some of their own as a result of migration, trade, or colonisation. As we travel across the country, the languages and dialects keep changing every hundred miles.

 

One language might be influenced by another language. For instance, Sanskrit has its influence over most of the languages in India. But that does not mean these languages were born out of Sanskrit. It was a scholarly language across India under various dynasties. Similarly, most of the languages in India were majorly influenced by the Brahmi script because of the rule by King Ashoka.

 

Distinct flavour of Kannada

 

Kannada is one of the oldest Dravidian languages, with a rich and well-documented history that dates back over 2,500 years. It belongs to the Southern branch of the Dravidian language family, which also includes Tamil, Malayalam, and Telugu.

 

The consensus among linguists is that Kannada, along with other languages being spoken in the South, evolved from Proto-Dravidian. No linguistic researcher has ever said that Kannada was born out of Tamil.

 

Today, it is the official language of Karnataka as well as one of the 22 official languages of India. Over 38 million people speak Kannada as their first language. Since 2008, it also earned the status of being a classical language, a recognition that came after years of struggle.

 

Also read: Carney’s invite to Modi may thaw frosty Indo-Canadian relations

 

Just like a majority of people believe that Sanskrit is the mother of all the languages, people from Tamil Nadu believe that Tamil is the origin of all the other Dravidian languages. It’s a myth that needs to be demolished.

 

Predictable backlash

 

It is no surprise that the septuagenarian actor’s comments, made during a promotional event in Chennai for the Mani Ratnam-directed “Thug Life”, triggered backlash in Karnataka where political parties of all hues, social and cultural organisations condemned the statement and demanded an apology from him.

 

The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce has threatened to block the release of his film unless he tenders a public apology while many Kannada organisations have called for banning the movie. The ruling Congress and the opposition BJP leaders rose in unison accusing the popular actor of hurting the self-respect of Kannadigas in his efforts to please the DMK.

 

Following the widespread public outrage, the actor made a clumsy attempt to wriggle out of trouble by saying that his comments were made “out of love” and that “love will never apologise.” This clarification has done little to calm tensions in Karnataka, where public sentiment continues to run high.

 

Several Kannada speakers and activists slammed the actor, saying that his claims had no basis. Pro-Kannada organisations, including Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, launched state-wide protests slamming the actor, and some of them tore posters of his movie. The Karnataka High Court pulled up the actor and said he has no right to hurt public sentiments. The court has rightly pointed out that Kamal is neither a historian nor a linguistic expert to make such sweeping statements.

 

Lessons from the row

 

There are lessons to be learnt from this controversy. We need to make a clear distinction between love for one’s language and linguistic chauvinism, which derides or ridicules other languages. No language is superior to the other. Throughout human history, people from all regions were ever ready to borrow words from other languages. It reflects a rich cultural interaction, not a one-way dominance.

 

One could celebrate one’s language without getting into the game of one-upmanship. The politics of language has to be understood in the context of the formation of linguistic states wherein language is seen as an integral part of the culture. Over time, the increased inter-state mobility, primarily due to economic reasons, has resulted in people speaking different languages moving to cities that are part of a linguistic state. Mumbai, and later Bengaluru and Chennai, have seen an influx of people from other linguistic states, often resulting in tensions between locals and non-locals.

 

Owing to the politics of polarisation, these language controversies often get blown out of proportion. One must remember that language is a vehicle of thought, a medium of love, mutual tolerance and respect. Language is a tool of communication that should serve as a unifying and not divisive force.

 

In a multilingual country like India, no language should feel threatened by others. In a free and open society, people will be more receptive to learning and appreciating languages other than their own. It starts with mingling and socialising and develops further through the consumption of cinema, literature and popular culture. The creative influencers, like Kamal Haasan, should refrain from – wittingly or unwittingly – ridiculing or demeaning other languages and associated cultures through stereotyping.