தமிழ் மொழியும் குழந்தைகளும்..(1)

தமிழ் மொழியை முடிந்த வரை குழந்தைகளுக்கு புரியாத, தேவையில்லாத - மற்ற மொழிகளுடன் ஒப்பிடுகையில் - முக்கியமில்லாத மொழியாக அறிமுகப்படுத்தி விட்டோம். பள்ளியில் சேர்ந்த பிறகு காலம் செல்ல செல்ல, தமிழுக்கும் குழந்தைக்குமிடையே உள்ள இடைவெளி அதிகரித்துக்கொண்டு போவதற்கு, முதலில் நாம்தான், நம் வீட்டில் தான் தவறை தொடங்குகிறோம்.

வீட்டில் தமிழில் பேசினாலும் வெளியில் சென்றுவிட்டால் ஆங்கிலத்தில் பேசுவது கௌரவமாக நாம் கருதும்வரை, நம் குழந்தைகளும் அவ்வாறுதானே வளரும். 

இதைப்பற்றி எவ்வளவோ எழுதலாம். இருந்தாலும் அவ்வப்பொழுது சிறிது சிறிதாக எழுத எண்ணம். இன்று, தமிழ் பாடத்திட்டத்தில் நான் பார்த்த ஒன்றை எழுத விரும்புகிறேன்.

தமிழ் பாடத்தில் மனப்பாடப் பகுதி என்று ஒன்று இருக்கும். அதை கணிதத்தோடு ஒப்பிடுவார்கள்; அதாவது சரியாக, அட்சரம் பிசறாமல் எழுதி விட்டால் முழு மதிப்பெண் கிடைத்துவிடும். குழந்தைகள் பள்ளிக்கு செல்வதே மதிப்பெண் வாங்குவதற்குத்தானே!

சிறு வயதில் எளிதான திருக்குறள்கள் மனப்பாடப் பகுதியில் வரும். வகுப்பு மேலே செல்ல செல்ல கம்பராமாயணமோ, சிலப்பதிகாரமோ வந்து, பாடத்தை உருப்போடுவதற்கு மனதை பாடாய்படுத்திவிடும். இது எதனால் என்று யோசித்த போது, பொருள் புரியாமல் உருப்போடுவதுதான் அதற்கு காரணம் என்ற முடிவுக்கு வந்தேன். 

அப்போதுதான் பாடத்திட்டத்தின் ஒரு குறை தெரிந்தது. நான் ஒன்றும் தமிழ்  அறிஞனல்ல. ஏதோ, எனக்கு மனதில் பட்டதை சொல்கிறேன்.

எளிய உதாரணத்தின் மூலம் இதை விளக்குகிறேன். எனக்கு பிடித்த ஒரு குறள்:

"தெய்வத்தான் ஆகா தெனினும் முயற்சிதன் 

மெய்வருத்தக் கூலி தரும்."

மேற்படி குறளின் பொருள் எளிதுதான். அதனால் அதை விட்டுவிடுவோம். 

இலக்கணத்தை முதலில் பார்ப்போம். இது வெண்பா வகையை (குறள் வெண்பா) சார்ந்தது. இதற்கு முதலடி நான்கு சீர்களும், ஈற்றடி மூன்று சீர்களும் வர வேண்டும். மற்றபடி நேரிசை, நிரையசை போன்ற அசைகளும், அவை எவ்வாறு அமையவேண்டும் என்பதற்கும் சில எளிய குறிப்புகள் உண்டு.

ஆனால்... இந்த இலக்கணக் குறிப்புகளை நாம் எட்டு அல்லது ஒன்பதாம் வகுப்பில்தான் கற்போம். குறளோ மனப்பாடப்பகுதியில் ஆறாம் வகுப்புலேயே வந்துவிடும். ஆக, குழந்தைகள் பொருள் புரிந்தாலும், எவ்வாறு பிரித்து எழுதுவது என்பது தெரியாமல், உருப்போட்டுக்கொண்டுதான் இருப்பார்கள்.

நான் என்னுடைய ஆறாம் வகுப்பின் அறிவில் எழுதுகிறேன். 

தெய்வத்தான் ஆகாது எனினும் முயற்சி தன்(னுடைய) 

மெய்வருத்தக் கூலி தரும்.

மேற்கண்டவாறு சிறிய குழந்தை எழுதினால் என்ன தவறு?

ஆனால் அது தவறாக கருதப்பட்டு மதிப்பெண் கழிக்கப்படுவதினால் குழந்தை எவ்வாறு படிக்கிறது:

தெய்வத்தான்

தெய்வத்தான்

தெய்வத்தான்

ஆகா 

ஆகா 

ஆகா

தெனினும்

தெனினும்

தெனினும் 

இதுவா தமிழுக்கு அழகு?

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ரா.பாரத்ராம்.

12 Aug 2017

Digitalization of humans

                                           

First I must clarify the title. It is not about making a human into a machine; it is not about changing cells into bits and bytes. It is not about half man, half machine. Or in other words, it is not about ‘Terminator’ Arnold Schwarzenegger; it is about real humans like you and me.

Whether we sensed it or not, we have been digitalized for quite some time now. i.e. all our personal information is being stored in digital format whether we like it / know it. Think for a second; to how many unknown persons we share our personal information: name, age, address, date of birth etc. - sometimes even to a boy standing near a toll plaza! And how many calls do we get from unknown numbers! And they know when to call you; like, in a Sunday afternoon, when you finally went to sleep after digesting (not the food) the amount of restaurant bill you spent yesterday as part of regular Saturday family outing, the fact that you didn’t get any pay hike this year, the rumour you heard from your friendly colleague that 70% of your unit may get pink slip and linking that with a conversation you had with your manager during last week appraisal meeting where he, with a full grin on his face announcing that you have to be ‘proactive’ and find ways to improve because your performance rating is still hovering around 70%....and then you get that call.

A mysterious person asks politely, “Sir, do you want a personal loan?” We get so annoyed and we wish he were there, right in front of you in physical form so that you can add up all your strength and punch him right on his face. I always think of only one question during those times,” How did you get my number.” Answer would be simple. “We have our database, Sir.”

Database; yes, data stored in digitalized format! Your personal details get chopped into bits and pieces and stored as bits and bytes in a big machine, which has no emotions, sympathy towards us. And we feed it. Yes, we only feed it.

Two factors: one is our bank, second is our mobile company.

KYC, when I first heard it I thought there was a new competitor to KFC in market. But then I came to know (after reading mail from bank fully, which usually we don’t do), KYC stands for 'Know Your Customer'. But what were they trying to say? Didn’t they know me? So, without knowing me they were crediting, debiting, and processing cheques, offering me credit cards? Or was it like a love marriage? We were in love first and then we got married so they want to know more about me now?

What can they do? Government is trying to tighten security. It wants to know more about its customers, sorry, people. So it comes up with new identity cards. Ration cards were not good enough so they came up with PAN card. If you don’t have a PAN card, you can’t open a bank account. But then government found out that a single person had multiple PAN cards. I personally would be happy if I were a higher official in Finance department because, hey, can’t you see, a person earns so much in this poor country that one PAN is not sufficient for him. But morally/legally it is not correct because he is cheating the government by not paying tax.

So govt came up with a brilliant plan; Aadhar card. If giving all my personal details and then my PAN card details to bank were the first step to get me digitalize, Aadhar card is many steps further (in upward direction). Now they took my finger prints, eye retina (to be precise, 'Iris') along with my personal details.

Ok. Now, I am partially digitalized, meaning a substantial percentage of me is available in digital format. Still something is missing; yes, my financial details. So then they asked me to link my aadhar card and PAN card else I will not be able to pay tax.

I was wrong…damn…I was terribly wrong. It wasn’t a love affair between me and my bank – it was a bonding between my Aadhar and my PAN. And, whether I like it or not, I must get them married so that the story can have a happy ending!

Now think. The database has all details about me including my finger prints and Iris lines. If someone could steal that data along with my financial details..!

I consoled myself. ‘Don’t worry, you live in India. Anything can happen anytime; even while crossing a road, you put ‘baaram’ on god and cross. Because you never know from which side what vehicle will come! So let’s again put the ‘baaram’ on god and hope my data will always remain safe.’

Two, is my mobile company. As per technology (or as per movies), knowing my mobile number, my service provider can track me, where I’am at what time, and even can record my conversation, but they don’t know me! Yes, they don’t know me and wanted to know me better so to them also I had to submit recent ID cards like PAN or Aadhar. Similarly if you want to buy a new SIM, you must submit your ID proof. And you should see the way that person (whether in showroom or in a street corner petty shop) throws the copy of your invaluable id into a pile of similar pitiful souls. You get to wonder, what if this information goes into the hand, to which it shouldn’t go! Again pray to god.

When I was in US, in Minneapolis, I went out to buy a SIM. After choosing one I went to bill counter. A young guy there bent towards me, in a professional manner and in a whispering voice asked me, “What is your SSN?” I told him and came out happily comparing the approach in India and in US. But then I had a jolt. I thought, ‘who is this guy? I don’t know him but I told him my SSN! Will I ever get to see him again?’

Truth is ‘No’. I never had a chance to meet him again and… he knows my SSN.

We all know that biologically it is possible to clone a human. Well, is it possible to clone a human based on available digital information? That’s the way we are progressing.

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R. Bharathram

7 August 2017

Thanneer Thanneer

When I was very young, my father took me to a stage drama – Komal Swaminathan’s , “ Thanneer Thanneer.” Story was about a village, ‘Athipati’, which suffers from a severe drought, no water for irrigation, bathing or even for drinking. As I was small I don’t remember entire story and how it ended.

Dreams can come true and sometimes the dramas we see too can! 

Now, I see that ‘Athipati’ village right in front of my eyes, in the name of Anna Nagar. We are caught in severe water crisis. No water supply to houses for many weeks now. We were buying water from Metro water in tankers.  I’am sure most of people living here must be doing the same. Suddenly online booking (only option to book) now has a limitation; once booked; next booking can be done only after 10 days. Technology has improved so much you know (!!); web page remembers you, restricts you.. But what surprises me is, why the technology hasn’t improved to plan, store and distribute water as per population, need etc.

To the people who are responsible, I request: Please go on a tour. Seriously… Go to Trichy. Some 20 kms away from Trichy there is a water structure known as ‘Kallanai’, built by Karikal sozhan, some 1500 years ago. You may be able to pick up few tips from there, which may benefit our future generations.

It’s time to think of ‘Karikal Sozhan’ not ‘Kala’. Here, in present world, reality is graver than imagination! 

Should or should not..

Two hot topics being debated in Tamil media: agitation against liquor shops and will / should Mr. Rajinikanth enter into politics? I don't watch TV much; incidentally I happened to see a debate in a channel and it looked like Rajini's fighting scene!

Please edify me on both issues. Before TN assembly election all political parties except one said that if they come into power (“if” clause is extensively used in our politics), their first signature would be closing down these shops but people voted for the one, which said they would proceed prudently and step by step in resolving this issue. It has been only one year so why such an aggression? We missed an opportunity; shouldn’t we wait till next election or doing peaceful protests rather than taking law in our hands!

Second is just opposite in speedometer! For many years (is it 2 and half decades?) Mr. Rajini holds us in suspense. It is like watching the most boring movie in real life. At least in theatres you have the option of walking out to spend money on junk foods but I don’t think we have the option of walking out of our lives and come back to hear what he is going to say! We aren’t lucky enough to do that. And all these years he didn’t take part in any political activities not even in his movies. I mean, in his movies too he keeps us in suspense on whether he would become active in politics. Truly speaking, sometimes I get confused whether I ‘am watching his movie or I live in my real life.

So… make me a civilian.