Michael wrote:
I love how the Tamils really appreciate their language and culture. That in my opinion makes Tamils the most respectable peoples in India.
I don't think that Tamils appreciate their language at all,
1. many upper middle class and high class Tamil prefer English, and heavily anglicized colloquial Tamil, and don't even know how to speak or write the standard Tamil (Trisha is a perfect example).
2. poor rural people don't know how to speak or write the formal Tamil, because the the Tamil school system is not that effective
3. Tamils don't like to read Tamil literature, not many newspapers in Tamil
In reality, Malayali speakers are more loyal to their language, all Keralites know how to write and speak Malayalam regardless of style, and are less likely to anglicize their language. Furthermore, Malayali's are crazy about reading in Malayalam (and not English as Tamil do), literacy rate in Kerala is 97%, and it has the records of books and newspapers impressed.
Language ''worshipping'' should be measured in this practical way,
So many Tamils like saying ''our language is the oldest'', but they consider it like a painting, it should be worshipped from afar, and it should not be used in real life.
Language is to be enjoyed and spoken, and not to be worshipped like a saint and not used in real life.
Furthermore, Tamil Nadu is the only state in India in which pupils can choose from the 1st grade which language they want to study. The majority favors English over Tamil, so they don't even learn their mother tongue.
So, you get the bizarre situation where Asin and Bhavana speak better Tamil than Trisha.
(And Trisha has no excuse for her lousy Tamil, unlike Deepika who can say: I don't speak Kannada very well because my native language is Mangalore Konkani, or Ash who can say: I don't speak Kannada because my native language is Mangalore Tulu.).