Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Sourashtra Script.



In the last Executive Committee Members Meeting of Sourashtra Madhya Sabha held in Ayyampettai on 22nd February 2006, it was decided to inform the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in India that the Official script for Sourashtra Language is Devanagari. It was announced by the General Secretary Sri E.Santharam that the Asst. Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities, Chennai is the close friend of Sri Venkataramanan of Erode. It is reported by Sri Venkataramanan that if we tell our decision that the official script for Sourashtra language is Devanagari, then things would move fast and grants could be released by Government for the development and teaching of our language in Schools. 
Though it was announced that everybody would be given chance to speak on this vital issue, yet many could not get opportunity to tell their views and were disappointed. The decision was announced by the President Sri P.G.M. Thulasiram in haste without discussing in depth the pros and cons of adopting Devanagari script for Sourashtra Language. The role of Educationists was missing.

The names of the persons who talked in the meeting are less important. The contents of their talk are more important. 

The advocates of Devanagari could not come out with facts and figures about the percentage of Sourashtra people knowing Devanagari Script. They could not explain the reasons for non-implementation of the decision of adopting Devanagari script by Sourashtra Madhya Sabha right from the year 1920 (in which year the Fifth Sourashtra SamuhaMahanadu took place and in which meeting the official script was changed from Sourashtra to Devanagari). Even after 85 years, Sourashtra Madhya Sabha could not do anything for the development of Sourashtra language. We cannot ignore what our Sourashtra Scholars used to write Sourashtra Language from 1876 A.C. (After Christ)
2. Those who opt for ParivartithDevanagari, which is found only in 2009 can use it. We do not oppose the use of ParivartithDevanagari Script for Sourashtra language.
3. Similarly, ParivartithDevanagari people cannot interfere in our using Sourashtra script (Ramarai Script). They cannot pass adverse remarks degrading our Elders who gave everything for the development of our language and made it a Literary Language.
4. Antiquity of the Script is irrelevant. The point to be considered is that script should be fine to use. Devanagari is deficient of some symbols. So it is not fully equipped. Even in ParivartithDevanagari Script, there is no provision for 'half yakara' and 'nasal marker', which are special features of Sourashtra language. 
5. We content that the image of our language will be boosted only when we use Sourashtra Script (Ramarai script).
6. Every major language is having its own script. So for our Sourashtra language, we should have our own script. It is already used by Ramarai and made it known worldwide.(Dr.H.N. Randle was fascinated by our own script only). It is already included in Unicode.


Above all, distinct Identity is more important when we speak, read and write Sourashtra language.
2.      We can point out the deficiency in Devanagari Script.
But, there is no deficiency in Sourashtra script (Ramarai Script)
Our distinct Identity as Sourashtra is established when we use Sourashtra Script.
But, our identity is lost when we use Devanagari script.
Sourashtra script is easy to learn.
Devanagari script is difficult to learn because of a number of compound consonants.
Printing in Sourashtra script is now made easy.
Printing in Devanagari script is difficult.

O.S.Subramanian. Posted in Face Book on 12.9.2015.
 ꢱꣃꢬꢵꢰ꣄ꢜ꣄ꢬ ꢩꢵꢰꣁ ꢂꢡ꣄ꢡꣁ ꢩꢾꢳꢶ ꢅꢱꢶꢒꢥ꣄ ꢦ꣄ꢬꢶꢠ꣄ꢜ꣄ ꢒꢾꢬꢸꢮꢵꢫꢶ ꣎