MNM party puts up posters supporting Kamal Haasan on Kannada language row
The Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) party has put up posters in Chennai supporting its leader Kamal Haasan in the row triggered by his remarks on the origin of Kannada language, and claimed 'truth needed no apology'.
The posters were put up in the city ahead of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce's meeting to discuss the release of the veteran actor's film 'Thug Life', following opposition from some pro-Kannada groups demanding an apology from him before the film was released in Karnataka.
Mr. Kamal's remark that 'Kannada was born out of Tamil' made at the audio release of his film in Chennai in the last week of May, stoked a controversy, triggering protests in the neighbouring state. The South India Artistes' Association defended him, claiming he aimed to promote unity.
With 'Thug Life' scheduled to hit the cinemas on June 5, 2025, Mr. Haasan, who declined to tender an apology for "uttering the truth", had moved the Karnataka High Court seeking a direction for the film release.
The image of the posters, shared by the MNM functionary, said the party firmly stood with its leader and emphasised that there was no need for an apology for speaking the truth.
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The Print
18 minutes ago
- The Print
Which is the oldest Dravidian language—Kannada or Tamil? Listen to scientists, not celebrities
The term 'Dravidian' today is often associated with India's southern states, linked to ideas of ethnicity, culture and politics. Here I use it only in the linguistic sense. In The Dravidian Languages (2003), linguist Bhadriraju Krishnamurti writes that Dravidian languages are spoken from the tip of the peninsula deep into Central India; one isolated Dravidian language, Brahui, is spoken as far west as Balochistan in present-day Pakistan. From the lost Gangetic 'Language X', to the possible origins of Southeast Asian languages, to the homeland of Proto-Dravidian speakers, it turns out prehistoric Indian languages were as diverse as today's. Last week, veteran actor Kamal Haasan courted controversy by declaring that 'Kannada was born out of Tamil.' The question of which Indian language is oldest—and, by extension, most native to the soil—has been a political hot topic since the mid-20th century. Some say Sanskrit, others say Tamil. But beneath the nationalist furore, paleobotanists, historical linguists, and archaeologists have made stunning discoveries about the linguistic heritage of all Indians. Anthropologist and historian Thomas Trautmann, in Dravidian Kinship (1981), also found a Dravidian substrate in many place-names in Maharashtra, and pointed out that Dravidian cultural practices—such as first-cousin and maternal uncle-niece marriages—are practiced by a few castes in Sindh and even Gujarat. Speakers of Dravidian languages, and their descendants, are extremely widespread. Given this vast geographic range, it's natural to ask: who were the 'original' Dravidian speakers? How did they spread and why? By looking at the earliest shared features of all Dravidian languages, we can assemble a hypothetical Proto-Dravidian language from which all modern Dravidian languages descend. We can figure out what plants and animals they saw, what their climate was like, and what their politics and settlements were like. Then we can look at the ecology of the subcontinent, archaeological digs, and we can see what matches. Distinguished linguist Franklin C Southworth, in his paper 'Proto-Dravidian Agriculture' (2005), made the most rigorous attempt yet to reconstruct this lost world. Proto-Dravidian speakers had a word for 'king'. They used a similar word for 'hut' and 'village', suggesting small populations of related families. They knew of various agricultural and hunting tools, and a wide variety of wild animals. Around the 3rd millennium BCE—when the Harappan civilisation was thriving on the Indus Valley—the speakers of Proto-Dravidian were also aware of many crops, such as sorghum and various types of millet and gram. They also had terms for cattle pens and domesticated sheep and goats. Finally, as archaeobotanist Dorian Q Fuller writes in 'Non-Human Genetics, Agricultural Origins and Historical Linguistics in South Asia' (2007), Proto-Dravidian speakers seem to have lived in a dry, deciduous forest environment. One region seems a good match for all these criteria. It is a region where the ranges of the modern Dravidian language families—Northern, Central, South-Central and South—overlap, and possibly where they radiated from. This is supported by extensive archaeological findings of a 'Southern Neolithic' period, with evidence of small mud homes, remains of domesticated and wild animals, and crops. There is a 73 per cent match between Southworth's Proto-Dravidian vocabulary of plants and those found in Southern Neolithic sites. Surprisingly, these sites are rather distant from the hotbeds of South Indian linguistic nationalism today. They are neither in south Karnataka nor in Tamil Nadu. Rather, the speakers of Proto-Dravidian, according to archaeological and linguistic streams of evidence, lived in the Krishna-Godavari valley in present-day north Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Also read: Sanskrit didn't always drive innovation in ancient India. There are two reasons The archaeology of languages To be clear, this is not to say that all Dravidian speakers originated from the Krishna-Godavari valley. (If we are being cheeky, no human being truly 'originated' anywhere except Eastern Africa.) The fact is, even the Proto-Dravidian language has some words borrowed from other language families, namely Austro-Asiatic—spoken mostly in Southeast Asia today, with the Munda families of Odisha and Chhattisgarh being the Indian representatives. This may suggest that the speakers of even earlier stages of Dravidian migrated to the Krishna-Godavari valley from elsewhere, picking up influences from other languages on the way. Some genetic and linguistic theories link early Dravidian speakers to the Iranian Plateau and the Harappan civilisation, but that's a matter for another day. Interestingly, the Proto-Dravidian language is not a perfect match for Southern Neolithic excavations: the peoples of the Southern Neolithic practised urn burials, but there's no vocabulary for it in Proto-Dravidian. It also doesn't match other archaeological candidates, such as the Harappan civilisation. If their cities are anything to go by, Harappans must have had a vocabulary for engineering and geometry, but it's practically nonexistent in Proto-Dravidian. Proto-Dravidian also doesn't have a word for 'rhinoceros', which are often depicted on Harappan seals. This doesn't mean that no Dravidian speakers lived in Harappan cities—such a vast civilisation must have been multilingual. It just means there may have been another, now-extinct early branch of Dravidian languages, which could have evolved separately from Proto-Dravidian. Proto-Dravidian has words for some crops—especially wheat—which may be of Harappan origin, suggesting, at the very least, agricultural exchanges. The true 'homeland' of the Dravidians, then, is still unclear. All we can say for certain is that around 3000 BCE, Proto-Dravidian speakers deep in the South Indian peninsula harnessed agriculture and, as their population exploded around 1100 BCE, they spread out in waves across the Indian Subcontinent. 'Broadly, the default Proto-Dravidian agricultural practice was dry farming of millets, pulses and tubers. Irrigated rice farming (alongside cash crops like cotton and sugarcane) became more important in the late 1st millennium BCE,' Dr Sureshkumar Muthukumaran, a historian, curator and lecturer at the National University of Singapore, told me. Over the centuries, Dravidian speakers traded words, animals and crops not only with North India but also with Southeast Asia. A particularly influential branch headed south, giving rise to the South Dravidian languages. Some groups, relatively isolated on the Nilgiri hills, developed languages such as Irula and Toda. Others, settling into the expansive coasts and plains, spoke the ancestors of Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam. The language that became Tamil, according to Krishnamurti (Dravidian Languages), branched off around 600 BCE, roughly when the first cities were growing on the Gangetic Plains far to the North. Three centuries later, it had developed into Old Tamil, the first Dravidian language to have a written culture, composed in thriving new trading towns with rice-farms. Old Tamil itself was composed of many dialects, which evolved into Middle Tamil and eventually modern Tamil centuries later. Between 800–1200 CE, some Middle Tamil dialects branched off into Malayalam. We can say with confidence that the ancestor of Kannada is not Tamil: it is a lost South Dravidian language related both to the languages of the Nilgiris and to Old Tamil. Unfortunately, the earliest written examples of Kannada date to c. 450 CE, so we don't have a clear picture of how the language evolved in the centuries prior. Thereafter, though, many dialects of Kannada evolved, through Old Kannada into Middle and thence modern Kannada. In North Karnataka, Kannada dialects had a fertile exchange with Indo-Aryan languages such as Marathi, which in turn had a Dravidian substrate. The mosaic of Indian languages It is becoming increasingly clear that this complex mosaic of linguistic borrowings, evolutions, migrations, and shifts is the story of all Indians, indeed of all humanity. Rig Vedic Sanskrit provides another early example. Prof Michael Witzel, a linguist and scholar of the Vedas, writes in 'Substrate Languages in Old Indo-Aryan' (1999) that already by 1500 BCE, the earliest Indo-Aryan languages had absorbed a chunk of vocabulary from now-lost Austro-Asiatic languages in Punjab—a hypothetical Harappan language called 'Meluhhan' in Sindh, and a language called 'Language X', probably spoken by the earliest Neolithic farmers in the Gangetic plains. A few centuries later, c. 800 BCE, Dravidian words suddenly appear in the Vedas, possibly hinting at now-lost North Dravidian languages. As noted above, Tamil literature and writing appeared around 300 BCE. The earliest Tamil literature is called the Sangam poetry, after assemblies of poets who compiled it. Linguists, however, generally agree that the word 'Sangam' itself is borrowed from Indo-Aryan languages, while Old Tamil poets were clearly aware of Vedic mythology. Meanwhile, around the same time in North India, Prakrit literatures blossomed, overpowering the dominance of Sanskrit in religion and ritual. Krishnamurti (Dravidian Languages) argues that Prakrits probably developed from the integration of the speakers of now-lost regional Dravidian languages into the North Indian mainstream. And, in the medieval period, starting around 600 CE, all the major Southern Dravidian languages, including both Kannada and Tamil, borrowed extensive political, grammatical, and religious terms from a revitalised Classical Sanskrit. So, what is indigenous and what is foreign? Which language is 'oldest' when all have branched off from already-diverse origins, and borrowed from or lent to each other across centuries? India's modern linguistic diversity didn't appear out of nowhere: all the evidence is telling us that we are the inheritors of a complex, multidimensional mixing of genes, words, technologies, and ideas across timescales of truly mind-boggling proportions. Banal statements that language A is older than language B might set social media aflame and rally nationalists to a cause. But, as is increasingly clear, patriotic oversimplifications always trample on the histories and dignities they claim to protect. This article is a part of the 'Thinking Medieval' series that takes a deep dive into India's medieval culture, politics, and history. (Edited by Ratan Priya)
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Donald Trump's New Travel Ban: Why These 19 Countries Have Been Targeted
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According to a statement from the White House, the countries facing the full ban were found 'to be deficient with regards to screening and vetting and were determined to pose a very high risk to the United States." National Security Concerns And Terrorism Threats Central to the administration's justification is the claim that many of these countries pose heightened risks due to terrorism links, extremism, or state-sponsored activities: Trump stated while signing the order: 'We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen… That is why today I am signing a new executive order placing travel restrictions on countries including Yemen, Somalia, Haiti, Libya, and numerous others." 'We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen… That is why today I am signing a new executive order placing travel restrictions on countries including Yemen, Somalia, Haiti, Libya, and numerous others." –President Trump — The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 4, 2025 Fragile Or Failing States Beyond direct terrorism links, many of the countries targeted in Trump's travel ban share one common trait: deep state fragility. This limits their ability to maintain civil registries, criminal databases, or cooperate with international law enforcement — core issues for US visa screening. The 2024 Fragile States Index, which ranks countries on political, security, economic, and humanitarian stability, places several of the fully banned nations among the world's most unstable: Somalia (Rank 1): Racked by decades of civil war, Somalia has no fully functioning central government, with large swathes controlled by Al-Shabaab militants. Law enforcement capacity remains minimal, with rampant corruption and limited border control. Yemen (Rank 2): Still locked in a brutal conflict between Houthi rebels and a Saudi-backed coalition, Yemen's infrastructure has collapsed. Its civil registry and identity databases are virtually non-existent in many regions, making background checks extremely difficult. Sudan (Rank 5): Engulfed in a devastating power struggle between military factions (RSF vs SAF), Sudan's state institutions have broken down, leading to lawlessness, mass displacement, and zero functional cooperation with international law enforcement. Congo (DRC) (Rank 6): Plagued by multiple armed groups, internal displacement, and ongoing instability in its eastern provinces, Congo faces chronic governance failures. Border controls are weak, and internal vetting mechanisms unreliable. Chad (Rank 8): Marked by authoritarian rule, weak security infrastructure, and frequent insurgencies along its borders, Chad's institutional capacity for identity verification is severely limited. Afghanistan (Rank 9): Since the Taliban takeover in 2021, Afghanistan's legal and civil systems have collapsed. The US has cut nearly all security cooperation, and Taliban-controlled ministries offer little transparency or credible data on citizens. Libya (Rank 16): With rival governments competing for power and various militias controlling key regions, Libya's state institutions are fragmented. The absence of centralised governance makes security vetting highly challenging. Even beyond these top-tier fragile states, several others on Trump's list — including Eritrea, Equatorial Guinea, Haiti, and Myanmar — are viewed as authoritarian or dysfunctional states with limited transparency, cooperation or control over security vetting. Eritrea operates under a closed authoritarian regime with strict exit controls but little external cooperation. Equatorial Guinea has been cited for widespread corruption and opaque governance. Haiti faces political paralysis, gang violence, and frequent disruptions to government functions. Myanmar remains internationally isolated following its 2021 military coup, with sanctions and political repression further weakening state capacity. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said the new order fulfils Trump's promise to 'protect Americans from dangerous foreign actors that want to come to our country and cause us harm." President Trump is fulfilling his promise to protect Americans from dangerous foreign actors that want to come to our country and cause us commonsense restrictions are country-specific and include places that lack proper vetting, exhibit high visa overstay rates, or… — Abigail Jackson (@ATJackson47) June 4, 2025 Visa Overstay Violations The partial bans also heavily cite immigration violations, particularly high visa overstay rates, as a factor for restricted entry. Other countries like Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, Burundi, Cuba, and Venezuela have been flagged for non-compliance with US visa tracking and insufficient cooperation with law enforcement. A Revival Of Trump's 2017 Travel Ban The latest order revives and broadens Trump's earlier 2017 travel ban, which initially targeted seven Muslim-majority nations, including Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen. That policy was rescinded by former President Joe Biden in 2021, who called it 'a stain on our national conscience." President Trump reinforced the rationale behind the decision, saying: 'We will restore the travel ban, some people call it the Trump travel ban, and keep the radical Islamic terrorists out of our country that was upheld by the Supreme Court." top videos View all Conclusion While officially framed as a national security measure, Trump's revived travel ban reflects a combination of terrorism threats, fragile state risks, and visa enforcement failures. The move also aligns with his broader 'America First" approach to immigration and border security. With implementation set to take effect at 12:01 am on Monday (June 9), thousands of travellers, students, and families across these nations will now face an uncertain future. About the Author Karishma Jain Karishma Jain, Chief Sub Editor at writes and edits opinion pieces on a variety of subjects, including Indian politics and policy, culture and the arts, technology and social change. Follow her @ More Get Latest Updates on Movies, Breaking News On India, World, Live Cricket Scores, And Stock Market Updates. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : donald trump Travel ban Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 05, 2025, 09:51 IST News explainers Donald Trump's New Travel Ban: Why These 19 Countries Have Been Targeted
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First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
'Stolen' and 'Stree' actor Abhishek Banerjee on Kamal Haasan's 'Kannada was born out of Tamil' remark: 'Heard the same thing about the Marathi-Bihari and...'
Not just Abhishek Banerjee, even 'Rana Naidu' and 'Baahubali' actor Rana Daggubati weighed on the on-going debate about Haasan's comment read more Kamal Haasan is gearing up for the release of his film Thug Life with Mani Ratnam. During the promotional events, the veteran said something that has not gone down well with many people and it invited a lot of backlash. And now a complaint has been filed against him for his controversial remark. What did the actor say? At the event, Kamal Haasan began his speech by saying, 'Uyire Urave Tamizhe', meaning 'my life and my family is Tamil language'. He went on to add, 'Actor Shivarajkumar is my family living in another state. That's why he is here. That's why when I started my speech, I said 'my life and my family is Tamil'. Your language (Kannada) was born out of Tamil. So you are included in that line.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Abhishek Banerjee and Rana Daggubati react Rana Daggubati said, 'Now, social media has become a place to make an opinion. Earlier, you didn't have that. Anything gets touchy and political quite quickly.' The actor added, 'If the media and the news, and people become smarter (and understand) that actors are not the ones to advocate for the way society lives - it will be a better place. I think you should look at scholars, politicians and learned men and women to lead a way into society.' Abhishek Banerjee added further, 'I heard the same thing about the Marathi-Bihari and Kannada-Tamil conflict, which has been going on. I feel it's completely worthless and useless.' He continued, 'People who don't have anything better to do, will just try and get attention while doing this.'
