Kamal hassan (Social media)
National News: Veteran Tamil cinema actor and political figure Kamal Haasan is in the news again—this time not for his acting or politics, but for a language-related statement. At an event in Chennai during the promotion of his new film Thug Life, Kamal Haasan said that, "Your language, Kannada, is derived from Tamil.”
The comment not only highlighted the linguistic differences between the two major languages of South India—Tamil and Kannada—but also sparked massive protests in Karnataka. While a section on social media supported Haasan, Kannada organizations and leaders have called for a boycott of Thug Life, calling it an “attack” on the language.
According to historians, the Kannada language is believed to have originated from the Proto-South Dravidian language, which dates back to around 950 BC. This is older than the origin of Tamil. Words like 'Isila' have been mentioned to be of Kannada origin in Emperor Ashoka's inscriptions found in Karnataka. Apart from this, Ptolemy's 'Geography' (2nd Century AD) also mentions many places in Karnataka that match Kannada names.
The script of the Kannada language has also gone through many phases over time - scripts like Kadamba, Badami Chalukya, Rashtrakuta, Kalyan Chalukya, and Hoysala are historical evidence of ancient Kannada. The Halmidi inscription of the 5th century AD is considered to be the oldest document written in Kannada.
After this, the Kappe Arbhatta inscription of Badami of 700 AD has been accepted as the first Kannada poem.
The controversy arising from Kamal Haasan's statement is not limited to words only; it has taken the form of a battle for linguistic identity. In South India, language is not just a means of communication but is also linked to culture, identity, and pride.
If Haasan's intention was to show linguistic unity, then his choice of words may have cost him dearly.
Experts believe that Tamil and Kannada are sisters of the Dravidian language family. Although their roots may be similar, their scripts, grammar, pronunciation, and literary traditions are different. To say that one is a product of the other is an injustice to historical facts.
People take the words of artists like Kamal Haasan seriously. Therefore, sensitivity and historical awareness are expected in such statements. Both Tamil and Kannada languages are symbols of ancient, rich, and independent identity. While linking them to each other can be an attempt at unity, comparing them can become the root of controversy.
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