Tamilzh Kural

Culture, Language, Identity and the Culture of Self-help for the Way Forward for the Malaysian Indian Community Dr N. Iyngkaran and Dr P Kunaletchumy

Introduction The Human spirit is larger than any of us can imagine. Left to its own design, in the natural state of human affairs, its evolutionary trajectory is always towards progress, prosperity and preservation. Culture is the product of the adventure of the human spirit. The decimation of some ancient cultures like the Mayas, Aztecs, and other indigenous cultures in many parts of the world in the past are the unfortunate outcome of brute adventurism of materialistic and technologically superior cultures on innocent spiritualistic cultures. Fortunately that phase of human cultural cannibalism will probably not be seen for a long time notwithstanding the recent cultural genocides the world witnessed in recent years in Africa, Europe and even Asia. We are fortunate in Malaysia. The cultural cross-currents from the five major religious civilizations have had free interaction. The free flowing cultural crosscurrents, notwithstanding the NEP and some religious restrictions have benefited the nation immensely. What hinders the onward march of a community is its culturally determined attitudes and socio-economic hurdles. Over a period of time the two may ostensibly influence each other until the actual cause becomes clouded. It is however clear that more money without a proper mind set will not give the individual better times. What will set them on a right course is a positive culture that imbues self-respect, self-pride, self-esteem and self-confidence. This can only be done through education, formal and informal and cultural interaction and cultural engagements. The spirit of the working class Indian community gets dampened by its own negative unprogressive culture and not by the exclusivity of external factors like indifferent Government policies or perceived racial biases. While a community in the gutters needs external assistance to as a push or pull factor, I do not believe that Malaysian Indian community at the present time is in that state. The community is poorer in attitude and action than in material resources. The latter can be rectified easily but the former is often high nigh impossible. If we are make progress we have to change our mind sets. We cannot be playing the old tunes. We have to fabricate bold new innovative programmes if we are to bridge the socioeconomic gaps. Confrontational politics, crying foul at everything perceived as racially biased and anti-government sentiments is not going to take us far. What has prevented our community to have helped to improve the standard of Tamil schools and in the process ensure that generations of children received quality education? That investment in human capital would have benefited the community and won the respect of the nation? It is our culture of shameless dependency and lack of self-pride that has cost us dearly. Are we to believe that there are not enough well to do Indian individuals, businesses and establishments (temples) that could have provided the funds to complement and supplement government support in improving the Tamil school performance? Or should we take the stand that education being a National issue it is exclusively the governments responsibility and if the government does not do more we should rather let the children go down the drain rather than help? As a concerned community should we not everything possible to complement ongoing Government efforts and improve the Tamil school performance. But we would rather lobby for the closure of Tamil schools for whatever reasons. Some of us are indifferent, some ignorant, some convinced that Tamil schools should be closed and many others could care a less what happened to the children in Tamil schools: blaming the parents for their emotional folly in sending their children to Tamil schools. If we as a community cannot have consensus on the important issue of Tamil schools, what great things are we going to achieve deliberating on many other issues? Where is the Indian middle class? What is its share and its role? Can it take the stand that because it does not send its children to Tamil schools it is free of its moral responsibility to help? If the middle class had played the role of the Good Samaritan by helping to improve the Tamil schools it would have enhanced its image and that of the community in the eyes of the nation. How poor are we that we cannot afford to donate RM 50-100 per month to a Tamil school development? There must be at least 300 to 400 hundred thousand Indian households that have a per capita income of 5 -10 thousand RM/ per month. Even if half of them donate RM 50 per month the Tamil school fund will receive 12 million per year. That can be used to as incentives for the teachers to upgrade their teaching skills and offer additional teaching sessions. A question we have to ask is what proportion of the Indian students have the various NGOS helped to improve their lot returned in the spirit of the Good Samaritan to help the community on their own or through any of the NGOS. Talking to many of NGOS the number is paltry. Is it not strange that hardly a few candidates return to help the community once they have grown wings? Where have failed? Or is yet another one of the negative manifestations of our unprogressive survivalist Indian culture? Or have we as agents of change in our earnestness to help forgot to sow the seed of love thy neighbor as thy self. We must have a new focus for the millennium. We have to change our mindset. We have to rekindle the spirit in the community. It is the spirit embodying our minds that must be changed first if we are to succeed. Culture TS Elliot defines culture as a way of life (SLIDE 2). It is that unconscious factor that influences our thoughts, words and deeds determining our overall behaviour and attitude to life. Culture is a time related phenomenon, changing to the needs of the individual with time. We cannot stop the relentless march of culture nor guide in any particular direction. The three pillars of culture are mother tongue, religion and traditions. Mother tongue occupies a pivotal role among the three as its nuances give culture its true flavour. (SLIDE 3) The captivating beauty of a tree resides in its majestic poise and sway and the magnificent display of its leaves, flowers and fruits. Seldom do our minds wonder what guarantees the tree its beauty. We know for a fact that the tree cannot manifest its external beauty if not for the strength and vitality of its anchoring roots. The roots being below the earth's surface they are not visible to our eyes and remain outside our consciousness. Culture is analogous to the roots, it is that factor that is outside our consciousness but gives shape, colour and character to our attitude, appearance and behaviour. (SLIDE 4) The height and the radius of the flight path of the kite depend on the resilience of the kite, the strength of the winds, the length of the string, and the skills of the operator. If the kite represents the individual, the wind education, the operator parents, the string is culture. Just as the kite, will not be able to take full advantage of the strong winds and enjoy the wide open skies without the string, the individual will not be able to exhibit his talents fully if he is not anchored to his mother culture. If the string snaps while the kite is in mid-air the kite will be blown away and snared by the branches of trees or simply be grounded. Similarly deculturalisation of the individual can cause considerable harm him. No one can stop the relentless march of culture in any particular direction. Its direction is set by the sum total of the attitudes, perception, religious practices, fears, anxieties, concerns, emotions, expectations and materialistic needs of the community in the context of its own past traditions. In a situation where the culture of a migrant community is constantly changing and interacting with other dominant cultures in the nation, how should the minority migrant community adjust? Should the community capitulate as the African Americans did and adopt the host culture? If that is the scenario what are consequences of deculturalisation? Would cultural substitution be a better option? In the process of adaptation there have been some untoward consequences, some serious enough to impede or obstruct the realisation of the full potential of the community. Education should not be the cause of cultural alienation but rather the basis to understand, appreciate, respect and promote cultural diversity. Education has succeeded only if the child is proud of his roots, his mother culture and his identity. A child with good scholastic achievements but not rooted strongly in his mother culture or an effective substitute culture may not have the strength of character to withstand the pressures of life and excel. He will be like a well-equipped ship without an anchor, drifting in the uncharted waters of the high seas, vulnerable to the vagaries of the natural elements! The child must know himself, what he is and who he is. He must have respect for himself, his mother language, his mother culture, and mother religion if he is to respect these values in others and live in harmony with them. Have we, as community lost confidence in our culture that has been contributing to world civilisation incessantly for more than five millenniums? As one of the oldest surviving cultures, there is an argument that it has outlived itself and is outdated. Our loss of confidence (if it is so) in our culture is tempting us into uncharted waters. We must bear in mind that deculturalisation and cultural capitulation both come with heavy prices. We have to tread very carefully and rediscover ourselves. Fortunately for us the IT revolution seems to vindicate the depth, strength and resilience of the Indian culture. We have once again underestimated the resilience of the Indian culture. In this paper I wish to take you through the following areas first to show and remind the richness, depth versatility, resilience and most importantly the creativeness of our culture.