From: vprasad@uoft02.utoledo.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.tamil,soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: I HATE TAMILS (2)
Date: 18 Aug 92 14:51:46 EST
Organization: University of Toledo, Computer Services

In article <Bt5DJt.9ws@ireq.hydro.qc.ca>, srini@ireq-num.hydro.qc.ca
(Srinivasan K.) writes:

> Could it be possible that, just like Telugu which gets accepted very well
> in Tamil Nadu, because it is the language of a neighbour;
> Hindi, which is a neighbouring language to Telugu Nadu, gets accepted there?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~??????????

	Hindi a neighbouring language to Andhra Pradesh????

	The five neighbouring states of AP are (in anti-clockwise direction)
        Orissa, almost insignificant amount of border with Madhya Pradesh,
	Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamilnadu. The respective languages spoken
	in those states are Oriya, Hindi, Marathi, Kannada and Tamil. If you
	think that Telugus' peaceful acceptance of Hindi has to do everything
	with our *small* border sharing with MP, you are grossly mistaken.

	Marathi is recognised in only a few villages in Adilabad district;
	Oriya probably in Srikakulam district (I doubt it though; Telugu 
	speaking majority continues beyond Srikakulam into Berhampur of Orissa
	and beyond; so the actual buffer region between the two languages
	extends beyond the borders of Andhra Pradesh). But Kannada and Tamil
	are quite well recognised in almost all districts of Rayalaseema, i.e.
	Ananthapur, Chittoor, Nellore and Cuddapah - if you speak Tamil or
	Kannada in these places, there is a high chance that you will be 
	answered back in the same language (well, within limits of semantics
	ofcourse).

	Hindi acceptance has more to do with Nizam rule in Hyderabad and the
	surrounding districts of Nizamabad, Adilabad etc. Urdu was the official
	language then; Hindi being close to spoken Urdu, people in those
	regions have taken to it very fast. But truly amazing is the fact that
	areas in interior kOstha zillas (coastal AP) and in Visakhapatnam,
	Srikakulam and E/W Godavari dists. (they were under the rule of the
	Gajapathi kings of Vijayanagaram till independence) also accepted
	Hindi quite peacefully. If you speak Hindi there, you *won't* be
	rebuffed as happens quite frequently in Tamilnadu. [I have a personal
	experience of getting _strange and hostile_ looks when I spoke with
	my Northie friend in Hindi from local populace, in supposedly cosmo-
	politan city like Madras, not to speak of interior TN!! Yes, I've
	stayed in Madras for 4 years. I know one experience does not prove
	anything, but Sudarshan has a point with this issue]

	Please give us the credit when it is due; unlike Tamils who opposed 
	Hindi tooth and nail, we Telugus correctly recognised that Hindi is 
	our link to the rest of India and accepted it. Opinions may differ
	whether this is such a good thing (I suspect most Tamils think it 
	isn't); but in my opinion, in Tamilnadu, this issue is blown *way*
	out of proportions. In their reluctance to accept Hindi in any form, 
	Tamils are missing out on a very rich mixture of literature, film
	songs from Hindi etc; it is certainly a big loss. 

	Siva Prasad.				(vprasad@uoft02.utoledo.edu)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.tamil