TWO RECENT BOOKS IN TAMIL
By Rama Kannabiran
Kavignareru Amallathasan is an established Senior poet, writing verses for more
than four decades. Recently his two poetry books have been launched by the Association Of Singapore Tamil Writers, of which he is the president since 1987.
One book title “The Tamils Grand Sir Thamizhavel G. Sarangapany” is an eulogy to the
Late G. Sarangapany, who founded the Tamil daily, The Tamil Murasu.
The other book captioned ‘The Flute’ is a collection of poems on love, nature, Tamil
Language, society and Singapore nation.
The eulogistic book begins with the immigrant history of Tamils and the Japanese
Occupation, versifies midway the life conditions of the pre- and post- independent
Singapore and concludes with the great deeds of the community leader, G. Sarangapany.
The poet’s technique of interweaving the local history with the social biography of
G.Sarangapany is very effective at impinging the significant achievements of the great Community leader on the readers minds. In the ‘50s and ‘60s Thamizhavel
G. Sarangapany had unified the local Indian Tamils, through his newspaper articles
to persuade the immigrant Tamils to acquire Singapore citizenship, by his reformative
activities via the Singapore Tamil’s Representative Council to change the mindsets of
local Tamils, and his thoughtful introduction of the annual Tamil Festivel to be celebrated in unison by all Indian Tamils, regardless of their religions and castes. G. Sarangapany’scontinual social efforts, with the support of some of the other steadfast community leaders,paved the way for Tamil to become one of the official languages in the Republic.
Amallathasan’s personal experience of community work in Singapore has enriched him
to pen many noteworthy poems in the ‘socity’ section of his other book, ‘The Flute’.
In the ‘Singapore Nation’segment, he sings passionately the successful story of the
Singapore State. In one stanza, he praises Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew as:
“The peerless leader Lee
Appeared
And sowed seeds of
Objectives
And mostened them
With his sweat
Wah! Courage sporouted
In our hearts”
Amallathasan’s poems have been composed naturally in simple language but in
An elegant style. Hence, students taking Tamil as a second language, can easily
Read and comprehend his poems. The non-Tamil readers too can enjoy them, as
the poems have been transcreated in English. The poet’s two books are therefore
worthy purchase for school libraries.
The forward of the well-known English poet, Professor Edwin Thumboo is indeed
a ccredit to Amallathasan’s works. The professor writes; “Mr Amallathasan deserves
our gratitude and thanks for his contribution to the cause of Tamil literature in
Singapore through his own writings and the work of his Association of Singapore
Tamil Writers which should be commended for bringing out of these two collections.”
Notes:________________________________
• The reviewer, Rama Kannabiran, is a fiction writer in Tamil.
• ‘Tamils Grand Sir Thamizhavel G. Sarangapany’ at $20/- and ‘The Flute’ at $30/-
are available at GGS Publications – Books & Stationery, 48 Serangoon Road,
#01-03, Little India Arcade, Singapore-217959. Telephone: 62969640.
******
By Rama Kannabiran
Kavignareru Amallathasan is an established Senior poet, writing verses for more
than four decades. Recently his two poetry books have been launched by the Association Of Singapore Tamil Writers, of which he is the president since 1987.
One book title “The Tamils Grand Sir Thamizhavel G. Sarangapany” is an eulogy to the
Late G. Sarangapany, who founded the Tamil daily, The Tamil Murasu.
The other book captioned ‘The Flute’ is a collection of poems on love, nature, Tamil
Language, society and Singapore nation.
The eulogistic book begins with the immigrant history of Tamils and the Japanese
Occupation, versifies midway the life conditions of the pre- and post- independent
Singapore and concludes with the great deeds of the community leader, G. Sarangapany.
The poet’s technique of interweaving the local history with the social biography of
G.Sarangapany is very effective at impinging the significant achievements of the great Community leader on the readers minds. In the ‘50s and ‘60s Thamizhavel
G. Sarangapany had unified the local Indian Tamils, through his newspaper articles
to persuade the immigrant Tamils to acquire Singapore citizenship, by his reformative
activities via the Singapore Tamil’s Representative Council to change the mindsets of
local Tamils, and his thoughtful introduction of the annual Tamil Festivel to be celebrated in unison by all Indian Tamils, regardless of their religions and castes. G. Sarangapany’scontinual social efforts, with the support of some of the other steadfast community leaders,paved the way for Tamil to become one of the official languages in the Republic.
Amallathasan’s personal experience of community work in Singapore has enriched him
to pen many noteworthy poems in the ‘socity’ section of his other book, ‘The Flute’.
In the ‘Singapore Nation’segment, he sings passionately the successful story of the
Singapore State. In one stanza, he praises Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew as:
“The peerless leader Lee
Appeared
And sowed seeds of
Objectives
And mostened them
With his sweat
Wah! Courage sporouted
In our hearts”
Amallathasan’s poems have been composed naturally in simple language but in
An elegant style. Hence, students taking Tamil as a second language, can easily
Read and comprehend his poems. The non-Tamil readers too can enjoy them, as
the poems have been transcreated in English. The poet’s two books are therefore
worthy purchase for school libraries.
The forward of the well-known English poet, Professor Edwin Thumboo is indeed
a ccredit to Amallathasan’s works. The professor writes; “Mr Amallathasan deserves
our gratitude and thanks for his contribution to the cause of Tamil literature in
Singapore through his own writings and the work of his Association of Singapore
Tamil Writers which should be commended for bringing out of these two collections.”
Notes:________________________________
• The reviewer, Rama Kannabiran, is a fiction writer in Tamil.
• ‘Tamils Grand Sir Thamizhavel G. Sarangapany’ at $20/- and ‘The Flute’ at $30/-
are available at GGS Publications – Books & Stationery, 48 Serangoon Road,
#01-03, Little India Arcade, Singapore-217959. Telephone: 62969640.
******
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