Chennai: Schools across Tamil Nadu recently participated in the ‘Thirukkural with the Times’ campaign, making special arrangements to play a series of 13 videos promoting the ancient Tamil text. The campaign featured prominent figures including politicians, artists, writers, and business leaders sharing their favourite Thirukkural couplets.
The videos featured chief minister M K Stalin, writer and translator Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma, Bharatanatyam artist Padma Subrahmanyam, former ISRO director Mylswamy Annadurai, Asian Paints chairman R Seshasayee, Tamil author Sivashankari, IIT Madras director V Kamakoti, member of parliament Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, K G Hospital chairman Dr K G Bakthavathsalam, author Bharathi Baskar, actor R Madhavan, Ramraj Cotton founder K R Nagarajan, and Tamil debater Pattimandram Raja.
In response, students across several schools actively engaged with the initiative, watching the videos and selecting their own favourite Kurals. The effort was aimed at encouraging appreciation for Tamil literature and culture.
G Jebadoss Thinakaran, headmaster of MCC Higher Secondary School, said the campaign served as motivation for students to learn the Thirukkural. “In recent times, there has been a deviation from Tamil, and this event acted as a tool to bring students back to our roots. More than 200 students participated in this event, and we look forward to organising such events often,” he said.
Shanthi Fernando, principal of St Ursula’s Anglo-Indian School in Church Park said, “I’m happy our children are learning Thirukkural, as it is everything we need in life. The fact that many students found the text interesting and have picked it up out of their own interest feels like the campaign’s purpose is served.”