Tamil Characters: Personalities, Politics, Culture

by A.R. Venkatachalapathy

Tamilnadu’s politics and culture befuddle outside observers. Ruled for half a century by two regional parties – DMK and AIADMK – its politics has been marked by language pride, non-Brahmin movement, caste-based reservation, regionalism, welfare populism, and cinema. Despite the negative coverage it tends to get from outside, Tamilnadu is a developed state scoring high
on all human development indicators.

In Tamil Characters, noted historian A. R. Venkatachalapathy provides a ringside view of contemporary Tamilnadu beginning with an assessment of political figures such as Periyar and Anna, Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa, and significant poets, writers and thinkers including Subramania Bharati and Iyotheethos Pandithar. The final section discusses contentious issues such as language politics, prohibition, jallikattu and Dalit rights.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, India

349 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 24, 2019

About the author

A.R. Venkatachalapathy, a professor at the Madras Institute of Development Studies, Chennai, has held the Indian Council for Cultural Relations’ Chair of Indian Studies at the National University of Singapore. He is published widely, both in English and Tamil, on the social, cultural and intellectual history of colonial Tamil Nadu.

Reviews

[Santhosh Guru · Rating 5 out of 5]

A crisp and superb introduction into some of key personalities of Tamil culture.

[Sudarshan Varadhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author's documentation of how Anna added a layer of sophistication to the Dravidian movement, which also throws light on how he was the only democratic and secure Leader in the legacy, makes this compulsory reading for neo-dravidians. That said, I thought he was too harsh with his criticism of Karunanidhi, despite his acknowledgement of how a long political career makes it difficult for a historian to compress the man's merits and de-merits to a few pages. I don't think there's any ideological bias that resulted in the output which ended up making JJ and MGR look better compared to Karunanidhi. If anything, it shows the challenge of documenting the lives of such human beings who lived in extraordinary circumstances. I thought the author spent too much time on characters, who at least from the way he has described them, seem far less significant and interesting than the behemoths he begins with. You wonder why Jayakanthan, Ashokamithran and Cho Ramaswamy are given so much space, for their roles were nowhere close to the influence wielded by some of the others in the book. But then, when contrasted with an essay on Pudhumaipithan, you see why. It also strikes you as to how, in a state that used art to great effect to enforce political change, such widely read and adored writers with a worldview different from that of the majority, hardly struck a chord with the masses in terms of influencing political choices. It also shows how the state is a paradox in many ways, but a cocktail of characters has made it an amazing place to live for its citizens (conditions apply). I'd have loved to read more on Periyar and Iyothee Dasar, and the book also gives you a feeling that the author merely scratches the surface and doesn't delve as deep as he should have. That said, this also works in favour of the book, as it helps you breeze through it. Some anecdotes are pure gold, and evokes many a smile. For a person familiar with the politics of the state, one sitting is all that it will take to finish it. If you're not familiar with the characters in the book, this is a good starting point.

[Vivek KuRa · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Tamilian, almost all of us would have heard about majority of the Tamil characters discussed in this book. Maybe even some of us would have heard all the cliched and hackneyed public unsubstantiated opinions and hearsays about these characters.

"What more is there to know about them ? "is what I thought when I flipped through this book’s index post purchase. But when I started reading, I knew I was wrong at several levels. The book is a scholarly written impressive compendium of short bios of mostly legends and some scandalous character(s). The chapters on familiar characters like Periyar, Kalingnar, Bharathi, Pudumaippitthan were brutally candid, fresh and comprehensive filled with lots of unknown interesting information. Also, the chapters on some of the least known characters of Tamilnadu such as C.S Subramanyam, Iyotheethoss Pandithar,M.L Thangappa were a real treat.

Cultural question section which addresses touchy topics for Tamils like Non-Brahmin movement, Eelam, Dalits cultural identity and Prohibition has some rational answers worth reading.
Overall, this book delivered more than what I expected when I bought it. A very scholarly work.
Recommended

[Varadharajan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I expected this to be a superficial read, but turned out to be a book much more than that. I found the title to be a little misleading since the part on Tamil 'Characters' is just one part of the book as the rest is more on the overall cultural issues of the state. You could see through the author's ideological bias based on a few selective criticisms. If you are not familiar with the characters mentioned, this is a good start. If you do have a general background, this is a breezy read with a lot of new interesting anecdotes wanting for more.

[Shan Sundar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely write-up about various key personalities from writers to politicians to historians. Book also has an array of essays on Non-Brahmin movement, Jallikattu, Copyright and its nationalization and few other topics. As always Chalapathy sir's lovely weaving of words. Give it a try, definitely will love it !

[Dinesh · Rating 3 out of 5]

தமிழகத்தின் மிகப்பெரிய ஆளுமைகளையும், ஆகச்சிறந்த எழுத்தாளர்களையும், ஜல்லிக்கட்டு போன்ற கலாச்சார நிகழ்வுகளையும் பற்றிய கட்டுரை. மிகப்பெரிய குறை என்னவெனில், மேம்போக்காக எழுதியிருப்பது.

[Gowtham · Rating 4 out of 5]

தமிழ்நாட்டின் அரசியல் - பண்பாடு - இலக்கியம் பற்றி ஆங்கிலத்தில் பொது சமூக வாசிப்புக்கென நேர்மையாக பதிவு செய்யப்பட்ட ஆவணங்கள் குறைவே. தற்போது ஒரு அளவுக்கு தமிழ்நாட்டின் அரசியலை தேசிய ஊடகங்களும் அறிவுஜீவிகளும் பேச தொடங்கியுள்ளார்கள்.
தமிழ்நாடு என்றாலே ஏதோ பிரிவினை பேசும் மாநிலம், மொழி வெறியர்கள், சினிமா மோகம் கொண்டவர்கள் என்ற பிம்பம் தான் இயல்பாக பதிவுசெய்யப்படுகிறது. ஆனால் நமது தனித்துவங்களை யாரும் பேசுவதில்லை.
தமிழ்நாடு பல விசயங்களில் முன்னோடி மாநிலம், பெண்களுக்கு வாக்குரிமை வழங்கியதில் தொடங்கி, இடஒதுக்கீடு, மொழி உரிமை , மாநில சுயாட்சி தீர்மானம், பெண்களுக்கு சொத்துரிமை,பொருளாதார வளர்ச்சி,மதிய உணவு, மருத்துவ கட்டமைப்பு என பட்டியல் நீளும்.
அப்படி தமிழ்நாட்டை பற்றி அறிந்துகொள்ளும் ஆர்வம் இருந்தும் எதிர்மறையாகவே புரிந்துகொள்டுள்ள ஆங்கிலம் அறிந்த தமிழரல்லாத மக்களுக்கு தமிழ்நாட்டின் அரசியல்-பண்பாட்டை விளக்க இந்நூல் அவசியம் உதவும். முனைவர் திரு A.r. Venkatachalapathy எழுதி/தொகுத்து 2018இல் வெளியாகியுள்ளது இந்நூல்.
முதல் பகுதி பெரியாரில் தொடங்கி அண்ணா, கலைஞர், எம்ஜிஆர், ஜெயலலிதா, சோ.ராமசாமி, சி.எஸ்.சுப்பிரமணியம் ஆகியோரின் அரசியல் செயல்பாடுகளை சுருக்கமாக பதிவுசெய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது. திரு. AR. வேங்கடாசலபதியின் ஆய்வு நூல்கள் போல் அல்லாமல் இது அடிக்குறிப்புகள்(Footnotes) ஏதும் இன்றியே எழுதப்பட்டுள்ளது. வெவ்வேறு சமயங்களில் எழுதப்பட்ட கட்டுரைகள் என்பதால், எழுதப்பட்ட காலகட்டத்தையும் அப்போது நிலவிய சமூக அரசியல் சூழலையும் நம் கண் முன் நிறுத்துகிறது.
தமிழ்நாட்டு அரசியலை பற்றி வாசித்து வருபவருக்கு இதில் அறிந்துகொள்ள வேண்டிய விசயங்கள் அதிகம். சி..எஸ்.சுப்பிரமணியம் என்று ஒரு கம்யூனிஸ்ட் தலைவர் இருந்தார் என்றே இந்த புத்தகத்தை வாசித்த பிறகு தான் தெரியும். (என் வாசிப்பின் குறைபாடாக இருக்கலாம், ஆனால் ஜீவானந்தம், நல்லகண்ணு, சிங்காரவேலர் போன்றவர்களை தவிர பிற கம்யூனிஸ்ட் இயக்க தலைமைகள் பொதுவெளியில் பேசப்படுவதில்லை)
நூலின் இரண்டாம் பகுதி தமிழ் இலக்கியவாதிகள் பற்றியது, தமிழ் இலக்கிய வாசிப்புக்கு பரிச்சயப்படாத எனக்கு இது பெரிதும் உதவிய பகுதியாக அமைந்தது. குறிப்பாக புதுமைப்பித்தன், சுந்தர ராமசாமி, பெருமாள் முருகன் ஆகியோர் பற்றிய கட்டுரைகள் எனக்குள் பெரும் தாக்கத்தையே ஏற்படுத்தியது எனலாம்.
“ஜே.ஜே.சில குறிப்புகள்” புத்தகத்தை இந்த கட்டுரைக்கு பின்னர் தான் வாசித்து முடித்தேன். பெருமாள் முருகனின் “மாதொருபாகன்” புத்தகம் சர்ச்சைக்குள்ளான சமயத்தின் பூவரச மரத்தடியில் படுத்துக்கொண்டு வாசித்த நினைவுகளை அந்த கட்டுரை தூண்டி விட்டது. புதுமைப்பித்தன் சிறுகதைகளை நாளுக்கு ஒன்றாக வாசித்து வருகிறேன்.
இந்த பகுதியில் அயோத்திதாசர், பாரதியார், ஜெயகாந்தன், அசோகமித்திரன், சோ.தர்மன், எம்.எல்.தங்கப்பா போன்றோர் பற்றிய கட்டுரைகளும் இடம்பெற்றிருந்தன.
மூன்றாவது பகுதி தமிழ்நாட்டின் கலாச்சார பிரச்சனைகள்(Cultural Issues) பற்றியது. திராவிட இயக்க நூற்றாண்டு, செம்மொழி தமிழ், இந்தி எதிர்ப்பு, படைப்புகளின் தேசியமயமாக்களும் காப்புரிமையும், ஈழம், தலித் அரசியல் , ஜல்லிக்கட்டு, மதுவிலக்கு, தமிழ் இலக்கிய சூழல், சென்னை என்று 10 கட்டுரைகள் சுருக்கமாக இடம்பெற்றுள்ளது. நூல் ஆசிரியரின் பார்வைகளாகவே இந்த 10 கட்டுரைகள் இடம்பெற்றுள்ளன. ஆனால் தரவுகளின் அடிப்படையில் எழுதப்பட்ட கட்டுரைகள்.
ஒரு தொகுப்பாக பார்க்கும்போது பல புது தகவல்களை அறிந்துகொள்ள முடிந்தது, சில சர்ச்சைகள் குறித்த தெளிவும் ஏற்பட்டது. இதில் விமர்சனபூர்வமான கட்டுரைகளும் இடம்பெற்றுள்ளது. விமர்சங்கள் கலந்த கலைஞர் பற்றிய கட்டுரை தான் நூலிலேயே நீண்ட நெடிய கட்டுரை. 'தெற்கிலிருந்து ஒரு தீர்க்கதரிசி' என்று பெரியாரை அறிமுகப்படுத்துவது மயிர்சிலிர்ப்பை ஏற்படுத்தியது. (இந்நூல் ஆசிரியர் பெரியாரின் வாழ்க்கை வரலாறு நூலையும் எழுதி வருகிறார் என்பது கூடுதல் செய்தி)
முன்னமே சொல்லியது போல் திரு.சலபதியின் Fan-boyயாக இந்நூல் எனக்கு ஒரு பொக்கிஷம் தான். ஆங்கிலம் தெரிந்த தமிழரல்லாத ஒருவருக்கு தமிழ்நாட்டை பற்றிய ஆரம்பநிலை புரிதலுக்கு இந்நூலை பரிந்துரைக்கலாம்.
வாய்ப்பிருக்கும் நண்பர்கள் அவசியம் வாசிக்கவும்.
Book: Tamil Characters: Personalities, Politics, Culture
Publisher: Pan Macmillan India

[Jayanthi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tamizh people may not be comfortable with the writer's lines comparing Subramania Bharati to Tagore. Venkatachalapathy also leans heavily towards the "left", an interesting choice for people interested in reading about Tamizh Nadu. As a result, the number of prominent personalities selected for a "unique" profile is limited. He probably wanted to avoid what has already been written. Most readers will want to read "Cut-Outs, Caste and Cine Stars- The World Of Tamil Politics" by Vaasanthi alongside.

Wouldn't be wrong to say that the people of Tamil Nadu will find the book incomplete. They like unlimited meals!

A good effort. A second volume in the works?

[Prerna Shambhavee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to the vibrant world of Tamil Nadu, where politics and culture blend like the spices in a steaming plate of idlis!

A.R. Venkatachalapathy's "Tamil Characters" is your guide to this fascinating land, where larger-than-life figures like Periyar and Anna, Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa, shaped the state's destiny.

As you turn the pages, you'll meet poets and writers who ignited the flames of social change, like Subramania Bharati and Iyotheethos Pandithar. Their words still echo through the streets of Chennai and beyond.

But this book isn't just about the past; it's also about the present. Author tackles tough topics like language politics, prohibition, jallikattu, and Dalit rights with sensitivity and nuance.

We meet influential leaders like Periyar and Anna, Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa, and learn about their contributions to Tamil Nadu's politics. We also discover remarkable poets, writers, and thinkers like Subramania Bharati and Iyotheethos Pandithar, who helped shape the state's culture.

The book doesn't shy away from tough topics like language politics, prohibition, jallikattu, and Dalit rights. Author provides a balanced view, helping us understand the nuances of these issues.

Imagine sitting down with a friend who knows Tamil Nadu inside out, and they're sharing stories and insights that make you go "aha!" That's what reading "Tamil Characters" feels like.

So, come and explore the Tamil Nadu's culture and politics. Let Author be your guide on this journey, and discover the secrets that make this state tick.

Who knows, you might just fall in love with Tamil Nadu's spirit and resilience!

[Ramesh B · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a view with particular benefit of an author who is immersed in the culture and has combined both the views of street and a detached academic.

The book is divided into three parts one on political personalities ,one on cultural and literary figures and one on cultural questions.

The part on political personalities is a light biography with sometimes very sharp insights .It traverses personalities of both the left and Dravidian movement.Starting from Periyar till M Karunanidhi.For a Tamil guy reading the book there is still lot of unknown facts and you get a feeling that the author is speaking from Tamil world to those out there who want to understand tamilnadu polity.

The second part is one of the best parts bringing the author’s scholarship and his wide readership of Tamil literature in drawing the stalwart literature writers from pudhumaipittan ,Jayakanthan,Perumal Murugan and cho dharman.This part of the book is also the most enjoyable part of the book even if you haven’t read much of Tamil literature.

The third part is based on a glimpse into questions on Tamil public consciousness from Jallikatu to Eelam and grant of classical language to Tamil.The author has put forward a explanation and a possible forecast on this events.This section resembles the first part in serving as a view for a non Tamil into the Tamil world.

The book is one of the few popular books on Tamil culture and polity and deserves plaudits for providing a view to Tamil polity for the rest of the world

[Prasad GR · Rating 3 out of 5]

An assortment of essays published at various times, this collection inevitably feels disjointed. In fact, a journalistic rush is palpable in some of the essays. Their uneven size and differing scope (especially of the biographical ones) is jarring. I remember only one instance of cross-referencing in the book, which speaks volumes about the quality of the editorial work, despite the many overlaps contained within. Did I mention the inexcusable misspelling of 'antics' as 'antiques'?

However, if one overlooks these killjoys, there is surely a reward. The first section on Political Personalities is informative with a liberal sprinkling of titbits. It is the second section on Cultural and Literary Figures, that I found to be an eye opener. It is a valuable treasure trove on important writers that one may have overlooked. The last section addressing Cultural Questions is passable.

Overall, this is an average collection that may not satiate one's yearnings fully. A guide for further reading could have enhanced the value of this book multiple times.

[Vishnu · Rating 4 out of 5]

A captivating glimpse into Tamil political and social life through its prominent players. The books paints very vivid pictures of the characters, with minimal reverence and no holds barred criticism. Informative and entertaining, leaves you wanting to research more about the anecdotes mentioned.
(P.S.: I did however find that although there was a mix of admiration and neutral criticism for all other characters, the author seems to find no redeeming admirable qualities for Cho Ramaswamy. It is evident that he deems him important enough, that he is one of the character sketches, but no love for Cho though. Bit harsh I thought.)

[Shaswat Panda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tamil nadu's finest historian has just rolled out a huge Canvas and drawn portraits of its s famous, controversial but unmissable characters. The book also addresses a few key questions about the Tamil Cultural landscape. Can't miss the book if you want to educate yourself about India's southernmost State.

[Harshavardhan Ganesan · Rating 5 out of 5]

World history. Indian history. Tamil nadu history. Most of us are aware of the 1st, sometimes in great detail, partially aware of the 2nd, atleast to cover the highlights but those of us who are Tamils, fall woefully short of adequate knowledge regarding the 3rd. This book is a starting point and allows us to learn, respect and perhaps even understand a lot of amazing personalities . Must read.

[Hemanth · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a political Tamil, I found this a convincing summary and narrative of the people who made our culture, reform, and politics and still learnt quite a few surprising new things. For most urban (and English-speaking) Tamils and for most millennial and Gen Z Tamils, this ought to be compulsory reading.

[Gowtham Asokan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun summary of influential figures from Tamil Nadu, learned some interesting tidbits about Tamil literature and their arc post independence. The section about politics was enjoyable but felt like a compilation of articles (turned out to be the case haha). Would recommend for a good primer to Tamil politics/culture but nothing too deep.

[Sairam Krishnan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging collection. I have become a bit of a fan of AR Venkatachalapathy mostly because no one else seems to be writing so accessibly about the Tamil world in English. There is word-for-word incredible value in the reading experience: in this book especially, but also in his other work. Will come back to this again.

[Senthil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written short chapters about specific characters, events and concepts of Tamilnadu. Author seems not biased even in most of political characters. It would have been more interesting if cinema, sports, media, social people were also included.

[Enrique · Rating 4 out of 5]

A multicolor window to the present of social and political life in the state

[Karthik Ram · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent collection of essays. Not much fresh information or insights. The politician section is good but then it falls away.

[Sharad Pandian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exactly the general mapping of tamil literary history I was looking for, should serve as a useful guide and springboard for further exploration.

[Audrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

[Edit] In hindsight I think this book is significantly less useful than it could've been or promises to be. I'm not saying it's without merit, but I don't think I'd encourage anybody to read it. Seriously, just watch Iruvar (or Mani Ratnam films in general) if you are interested in Tamil politics.

Solid book introducing basic Tamil political figures and some emerging issues. The title 'Tamil Characters' is quite accurate, as it's not really a comprehensive introduction of Tamil society, culture or language, so much as a statement of where Tamil Nadu is today and how it got here.

While the political sections were the most comprehensive, covering all the main figures (Periyar, Anna, MGR, Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa), the author could have actually elaborated on what each party and figure was about. Both the Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa sections covered little of what actually separates the DMK from the AIADMK. Perhaps given the author's cynical view of both parties the answer is that there isn't really much separating these personality vehicles, but more could have been done, beyond an historical summary that didn't go much beyond a Wikipedia article.

The literary and cultural sections were a lot more engaging, though again, each was more focused on a passing view rather than an comprehensive picture. Here the author delved into some classic Tamil poets and authors, before elaborating on several of the social issues that exercised their passions. The author is unreservedly biased towards what interests him, given that he has had personal and professional relationships with some of the figures, so you really are getting a particular view. This includes some interesting stories but, and is probably the most useful part of the book.

That said, it's an interesting and concise book that covers a lot of topics. But anybody wishing to learn about Tamil politics is probably best off just watching Iruvar.

[Jack Greenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

While each state in India is unique in its own way, Tamil Nadu boasts an incredibly rich, yet complex cultural identity and heritage.

The author presents his assessment of significant political personalities and examines some of the most eminent figures in the world of Tamil literature. I was unfamiliar with characters such as C.S. Subramanyam, Iyotheethoss Pandithar, and Jayakanthan, and am glad to have learnt about them from this book.

The final section discusses a number of contentious issues in the public sphere. In my opinion, the most engaging essays dealt with Eelam, Jallikattu, and Prohibition.

Would highly recommend to both students of Tamil history, culture, and politics, as well as those with a casual interest in the subject.