Greater Charlotte Tamil language community group make generous book donation

What does it take for a language to thrive for over 2,300 years (and perhaps even longer)?

If the Tamil language community in Charlotte is any indication, it takes a joyful and inclusive dedication to sharing the rich history of this ancient language.

Tamil is one of the official languages of Singapore, Sri Lanka, and the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India and boasts 75 million native speakers. Of all ancient languages spoken today it has the most direct line back to its classical roots in terms of its evolution.

“When you speak to Tamil enthusiasts, they may tell you it’s the oldest language in the world, and in some ways that might be true! 

“According to Russian Linguist Dr. Mikhail S. Andronov, Tamil descended from Proto-Dravidian, a proto-language reconstruction, which may have been in use as far back as the fourth millennium BCE – and which, if true, would make it the oldest language on this list! But it’s a little hard to prove. What we do know is that Old Tamil can be attested back to 300 BC. Which is still nothing to scoff at.“

—Emily Duncan, “Top 10 oldest languages in the world,” March 2, 2022

Charlotte Tamil Library Volunteer Group (a.k.a. Charlotte Tamil Noolaga Kuzhu) volunteered for several months to gather the most sought-after books. The group sourced books from India and from other Tamil readers in Charlotte. Each family also contributed $20 to encourage community participation. Each book was carefully catalogued for the Library.

“We have sourced about 150 of the most popular titles for all age groups,” said Vimal Thiagaraj, one of the group’s volunteer coordinators, “The good news is the community is coming along and working with us. We have close to 60 volunteers working on this, contributing their valuable time and donations. The response is overwhelming. Mikka Nandri (‘thank you’ in Tamil.)”

The group brought 120 of the 150 books to Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s new Administration Center (called the LAC) on June 6. They also brought most of their volunteers — some with their entire families in tow including children and toddlers. Ramya’s 12-year-old daughter Varnika Anand shared why learning Tamil and continuing the cultural traditions is important to her.

“We want to carry Tamil through to our generations and I feel like Tamil School is a great way to learn Tamil and really spread the language,” said Varnika, a student at Agaram Tamil Palli (Agaram Tamil School), one of two Tamil languages schools in Charlotte with a combined enrollment of over 800 children from grades K through eight, “I feel like putting books in the Library is a great choice because it will really give new people insight into the Tamil culture and language.”