A minister of Indian origin in Singapore has highlighted the significance of Tamil as a mother tongue, stressing the necessity of introducing children to one of the city-state’s four official languages.
Singapore’s education system promotes mother tongue as a second language in schools, which include Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, and other main Indian languages, as well as Tamil, Malay, and Chinese (Mandarin).
“We need to ensure our children have opportunities to be constantly exposed to the Tamil language,” said Indranee Rajah, a minister in the Prime Minister’s Office.
Rajah described Tamil as a “passport” that connects all Tamil people, emphasizing that language must be learned as a living lesson and not merely studied.
“Whether through television, social media, or print, as long as they are hearing, listening, and using the language from a young age, we can keep it alive,” Rajah stated, as reported by the Friday weekly Tabla!
To preserve the rich legacy of the Tamil language in Singapore, the Tamil Language Council (TLC) has been organizing the Tamil Language Festival (TLF) for the past 18 years. Rajah inaugurated this year’s TLF last Saturday.
The minister had previously stressed the importance of every generation staying connected to their mother tongue, which in turn connects them to their heritage and cultural identity.
Centered around the theme of “Capabilities,” this year’s TLC is being held from March 30 to April 28, featuring 47 programs.
“This year’s theme was chosen to inspire the creation of innovative programs while leveraging our collective strengths,” stated TLC chairperson S. Manogaran.
More than 65 percent of the programs have been organized by youths, which has enhanced Tamil language engagement among young people through art, culture, and literature initiatives.
“Many of our youths today are finding a new purpose in learning and using Tamil; many of the programs are targeted at them,” Manogaran explained, as reported by Tabla!