Sorry I don't Speak Malay

I got into a cab the other day and the elderly Chinese cabbie started speaking to me in Malay. This has happened to me a couple of times in Singapore. My mom's generation and the cabbie's Chinese generation all spoke Malay. Malay or at least Pasar Malayu or colloquial Malay was a common language among the different ethnic groups in Singapore. Malay, unlike Tamil or Mandarin, was much easier language to pick up and the text is in English. Today the unifying language is English. My mom and my aunts were all tri-lingual - they spoke English, Tamil and Malay. I am embarrassed to say that I only speak English and Tamil. I am bilingual but many of my friends in my generation are unfortunately monolingual - they only speak English. Within a space of one generation we have lost one and even two languages. How sad.

My dad stressed heavily that I study the Tamil language. He said language is the doorway into an entire culture, people and mindset. No amount of translation will unlock all the hidden chambers that language can transport you into. He was right on the mark. When I travelled in Tamil Nadu people spoke very little when I spoke in English. When I switched to Tamil my whole world opened up and many opened up to me and shared so many stories and practices and rural traditions.

Tamil Newspaper in Singapore

My galfriend works at a Tamil newspaper in Singapore - it is called the Tamil Murasu. My parents faithfully subscribe to the Tamil Murasu which reports a mix of news from India, temple ceremonies in all the temples in Singapore as well as news of interest to the Indian diaspora. There are also other features like Indian astrology etc. I sometimes read this newspaper as a way to practice my Tamil and to keep my Tamil reading skills alive. I understand from the reporters in Tamil Murasu that keeping the circulation high in terms of numbers is always a challenge in Singapore. In Singapore the ethnic Indians comprise about only 8% of the total population. A minority group. There are also indians from India who come to Singapore to work. Between Singapore Indians and Indians from India not everyone speaks or reads Tamil. Only those who do and feel that they want to stay abreast of news from India buy the paper. Otherwise much of the local news and international news is available in the website and from the English press. As technology grows and more Tamil websites and content appears on the internet, Tamil Murasu has to find new ways to ensure its relevance.

Vanakam - the Universal Tamil Greeting

Whenever I am in the US - its pains me to have foreigners come up to me and say Namaskar. Namaskar is the Hindi greeting used in North India and Hindi-speaking communities. Nothing to do with me or my linguistic roots. I am Tamil - a Dravidian woman with ancestral roots in Tamil Nadu. I guess this is a common confusion - India is incredibly diverse with many languages and dialects. Namaskar is not the universal greeting. Just like tandoori is not the universal Indian cuisine. In Singapore for example, Tamil is one of our four official languages (English, Malay and Chinese are the other three official langauges). In recognitiion of the Tamil communities' contribution to nation building and the large Tamil population that migrated from Tamil Nadu to Singapore, Tamil has its rightful place as an official language in Singapore. So, in Singapore if you meet an Indian say Vanakam and if he is a Tamil Indian he will be truly impressed !!!