Union Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitaraman has said that the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, who is well aware of the pride of the Tamil language which is on the Bharatamatha's dialect of India. It has been quoting from Thirukkural and Sangam period Tamil literature in all places including the world arenas in order to honour the noble Tamil language.

Highlighting the antique connection between Kashi and Tamil Nadu, she said that the prime objective of the Kashi Tamil Sangamam was to realise the Prime Minister's slogan of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’- ‘One Nation One Country’.

The Union Minister was delivering a keynote address at the seminar on ‘Temple Architecture’ held today at Kashi Tamil Sangamam.    

The salient features of her speech are as follows:

 

”We are all people of India. There is no disparity in it.

There is no discrepancy. We each can speak a language.

The culture followed in the homes may be different.

But we all are people of Bharat. That is why our Prime Minister coined the phrase ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’- ‘One Nation One Country’.

Although our religions are different, our culture is basically the same; Hope is the same. Rivers should be respected and  must be clean. Everyone should eat food together and to be shared among ourselves. We also have to concern about animals, trees, plants and vines. We have to think about living things that move and things that don't move. It is our culture based on the devotion.

That culture is what essentially unites us. Northern origin, Southern origin, North East India are not different. Though Language may differ, but the core context is essentially the one and the same.

We all have the same hospitality of first giving water to the visitors, providing them food, and respecting them.

But the differences prevailing are set to divide us, just a strategy used by the medievals and there is no truth in it.  Even if we have to strongly oppose what some people are saying in politics today, even if we don't protest, we have a duty to tell the correct facts with evidence.

That is why in gatherings like the Kashi Tamil Sangamam, we bring up the connection between Kashi and Tamil Nadu.  One can feel how they have fostered communication through music for quite sometime long  could be experienced by observing ‘what happens in Kashi happens in Kanji’. Kanji and Kashi have been two  superior learning centres.

If you start talking about noble universities, Nalanda in Bihar which was destroyed, but its representations are still there. More than one lakh books were burnt as there should be no source of education and no tools that could be used for education.

Education is still given importance in Khasi. Apart from studies, the arts are cultivated. Ancient poet Kumaraguruparar came here and built the temple and later moved to establish the Dharmapuram Adeenam. The reason behind this is, the desire to share what he heard in his ears. Wisdom becomes wider and wider when it is more shared.

By learning within ourselves what we heard by ear, many poems were created in Tamil. Kashi Tamil Sangamam was formed with the idea that we should share such thoughts. Hema Hari has written the ancient relations between Kasi and Tamilnadu in beautiful Tamil with short explanations. Everyone should read and know it.

Take this and give it to everyone. These ancient evidences should be shown to both the naysayers and to those who speak ill of it. It must be narrated again and again. I have experienced and known a few things from my childhood in Tamilnadu. In our cities, they conduct some programs for devotion or to develop arts.

’Katha Kaletsapam’, tiger costume dancing, storytelling, kolatam etc. will be held. It is customary to repeat all these things to develop these arts.

It is common for children to see this and ask doubts and adults to explain it. When told about a cow losing its calf ringing the bell to ask for justice, the child asks if the cow can talk. The mother would explain that the cow's tears would show it.

So it is our duty to highlight all this evidence and point out to them not to speak untruthfully.

Our Prime Minister takes Thirukkural, Sangham Literature, Purananur, Agananur and recites it in every assembly.

When we see it, we feel proud. While he values every tradition, when it comes to Tamil, he appreciates it as the language on Bharat's dialect.

The Union Minister says this because we should all be together. But some speak as Hindi imposition for controversy.

When we try to forget our ancient culture or keep it aside for political reasons, we understand the importance of this Tamil confluence.

All of you have come here from Tamilnadu and how the people welcome you in Kashi is really matters. Those who have been here for many years understand the contributions they are giving to Tamils and Tamil culture. For the unity of the country, we should put the facts first and strive to realise the dream of our Prime Minister that only if we all work together, this country will progress and poverty will disappear automatically.

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AP/GS/DL

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