Mother tongue is mother

When I was traveling by the Madras Transport Corporation from T Nagar to Adayar, there was couple with their kids sitting in front of my seat advising something to their kids. Sitting very close to them, I heard them advising their children to call them "Mommy", "Daddy" and not "Amma", "Appa". The family was clearly from an "uncivilized" society with the way they were behaving (Not because that they were spitting outside the bus window, throwing groundnut shells inside the bus, etc.) but the way they treated Tamil. I did not understand how people think, they are "civilized" if they talk in English (or any other language, but for Indians English is God) as against their behavior. I am not here to write in support that people should talk only in Tamil or such a kind of thing, but against the way people see their mother tongue as second language these days. But being a Tamil, I would talk for Tamil (for you it might be your mother tongue)

I strongly feel that "Amma" is much much more powerful than "Mommy". Calling "Amma" is like hugging your child by your hands whereas calling "Mommy" is like keeping your child in a trolly (like the westerners do). It is unfortunate that some upper class here in Chennai are slowly following this style of trolley parenting. The baby has to smell his mother not the smoky road. I would suggest you to say aloud "Amma" and "Mommy" and I am sure you definitely see/smell/hear/feel/taste the difference.

Whenever I sit to eat in a hotel, nearly 60% of all the middle class families suggest their children to talk in English and they too talk to them in English. I understand that preaching kids a foreign language will make them go places. But it does not mean you have to under rate your mother tongue. For me Tamil is not only a language, but a chemistry teacher. Emotions are best expressed in Tamil. I give you an example. Hope you would have watched "Paasa Malar", a Sivaji classic. I bet you would have cried or had at least a soar throat for sometime. Also, no one would have missed "Titanic" and hope you would have cried when Jack sinked into the ocean with the beautiful blue eyes of Rose in tears. For me there is definitely a difference between the way you felt for the characters. With your mother tongue, it is the heart that triggers tears whereas with a foreign language it is the mind. In Tamil I could say these as "Anuthabam" and "Akkarai".

I have read somewhere that the first strategy adopted by the early British in India was to make Indians think English is supreme than their own local language. They were successful in their first attempt and has an effect until now. I would suggest young Tamil parents to grow their kid amidst Tamil and I am sure you definitely see difference. Kids is sure going to throw you out like you did for your mother tongue, otherwise.


Lets cherish our mother tongue and be "civilized" but definitely do a PhD in a second language. Crocodile shirts, Van huesen trousers, Reebok shoes, Swiss watches, English etc. are not going to make you civilized. It is the respect for your mother tongue.