Children must be taught Tamil language: Singapore minister
Singapore's Minister Indranee Rajah has emphasized the importance of the Tamil language as a mother tongue and in children's education. The Indian-origin minister said she views the language as a "passport" connecting all Tamil-speaking individuals and believes it should be actively used beyond academic study. "We need to ensure our children have opportunities to be constantly exposed to Tamil language," she said. Tamil is one of the four official languages in the city-state, after Malay, Chinese, and English.
Minister Rajah proposes ways to keep Tamil language alive
Rajah suggests that children can maintain the vitality of the Tamil language by hearing, listening to, and using it from a young age through various mediums such as television, social media, or print. She underscores the role of active usage in language preservation. Notably, the Tamil Language Council (TLC) in Singapore has been working toward this goal by organizing the Tamil Language Festival (TLF) for nearly two decades.
Tamil Language Festival inaugurated by Minister Rajah
Rajah kicked off this year's TLF last Saturday. The TLC event this year, which runs from March 30 to April 28, has 47 programs with the theme "Capabilities." TLC chairperson S Manogaran stated that the theme was chosen to inspire innovative programs while harnessing collective strengths. "This year's theme was selected to inspire the creation of innovative programs while harnessing our collective strengths," Manogaran said.
Youth engagement and government support for Tamil language
Over 65% of the festival's programs are organized by young people, significantly increasing engagement in the Tamil language through art, culture, and literature initiatives. Manogaran noted that many youths are finding new purpose in learning and using Tamil. Former Singapore cabinet minister, S Iswaran, also highlighted the government's commitment to preserving Tamil as an official language and its use in parliament and schools.
