Today (21-01-1989) is the Memorial Day of Professor Vithiyananthan
Prof. S. Vithiyananthan
Today (21-01-1989) is the Memorial Day of Professor Vithiyananthan. Amarar Vithiyan was not only the first Vice-Chancellor of the University of Yarlpanam, but also the first Tamil Vice-Chancellor of Eelam. He was a scholar who made a great contribution to the three Tamil languages👇
👉Science – He selected Pattuppattu for his PhD (“A Historical Social and Linguistic Study of Pattuppattu”, Thesis submitted for the PH.D. degree of the University of London). He translated this study from English to Tamil. He also wrote many books and various articles.
👉Music – He conducted many studies on Tamil music and Yarli music. He made the excellence of folk songs known to the world in books like Madkalappu Nadu Paadkal and Mannar Nadu Paadkal.
👉Drama – As a revival of the theatrical activities of his teacher Ganapathipillai, he innovated the folk songs in a way that suits today’s lifestyle. Not only did he stage them, but he also printed many folk songs. He never hesitated to dance with the students without considering them as a professor.
He also took a leading role in the World Tamil Research Conferences (3rd Conference = France, 4th Conference = Yarlpanam).
The works he left behind show his competence on one hand, on the other hand, the scholars he left behind like Velupillai, Kailasapathy, Sivathambi, Uvais (Ma.M.Uvais) will speak volumes about his greatness.
👉He was a great man who protected the Tamil language not only in writing but also in practice, and the following will serve as evidence of this.
He fell in love with Kamaladevi Ammaiyar and got married. There was no participation of Brahmins in his wedding ceremony, no vernacular mantras, no fire, no sacrifice. His wedding ceremony was conducted according to Tamil rituals by Ganapathipillai and Virivariyala V. Selvanayagam.
👉Although they got married in 1957, they started their married life in Peradeniya in 1958, as per the (largely) old Tamil custom.
👉He named his children in Tamil. Arulnambi, Magilnangai, Anbuchelvi, Inpachelvan, and Sivamainthan are the names he gave to his children.
Despite having a deep devotion to Shiva, he was a great man who, when it came to Tamil, put aside religion and saw the language as a language.
He also loved people of other religions. He conducted many studies with his student Uvaish on the services rendered by Muslims to Tamil in Sri Lanka
The book he published under the pen name `Praiyanban`, titled `Kalaiyum Thittamum`, brought much news about Islamic Tamil charity {note the pen name `Praiyanban`}. His such efforts were taken in the sixties (1960s) to prevent Muslims in Sri Lanka from moving away from the identity of Tamil or from moving away in the future.
Finally, I will say one more thing. Vidhiyananthan, who deeply believed in `language for the people`, made his research and the research of his students available to the people, and similarly, during the period under his rule, he kept the University of Yarlpanam connected with the people.
Vidhiyananthan , who was born on 08-05-1924 in Tellipalaya, stopped his Tamil charity on 21-01-1989. Vithiyananthan will be remembered as long as Tamil is alive.
(Translation by Tamilpriya)
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