Well I think I should say few things about Tamil Nadu ,a place which I visit frequently. Like most people, I feel Tamil Nadu is growing . Lot of new roads ,palatial buildings , shopping malls ,multiplexes are mushrooming everywhere and it needs to be reckoned that Tamil Nadu may be the fastest "growing" state in South India. Away from all these growth indicators ,I feel Tamil Nadu faces some unique problems ,mostly social and cultural ones.
Right from the Cholas , Tamil Nadu witnessed massive cultural and artistic surge which translated into massive stone structures with aesthetic carvings ,music ,dance forms .It continues to inspire and create some of the brilliant people the world has ever seen.
But Tamil Nadu also has a society who are marginalized and completely disconnected with their culture and heritage. May be due to casteism ,they were denied a descent living ,learning and respectful co existence. And that continues , they still live a life without having a culture which defines broad based personal and social behavior. Driven by low self esteem, they treat with people who dont speak their language as aliens. On top of it ,they live in a identity provided by movie stars or their avatars as politicians.
I have been to lot of historical places in Tamil Nadu. Gigantic stone structures always amazes me. But I am equally worried how these wonderful pieces of heritage is treated in Tamil Nadu. May be protecting these wonderful pieces of art involves bringing back these people into mainstream and create an environment in which they can connect with their culture. It requires more human intervention and lot of social empowering.
