Prof S Subbiah, Vice Chancellor, Alagappa University, said poetry was the most beautiful, impressive and effective mode of expressing one’s feelings and thoughts and culture, the way of life, contributed to happy and better life of people.
Addressing a two-day India-ASEAN poets’ meet and international conference on trends in contemporary poetry here on Monday, he said the “identity of an ethnic group is in its language; and its culture, like a mirror, reflects its life and deed.”
Translations of poems helped in bonding the relationship between two cultures, he said and quoted English poet Matthew Arnold having said poetry is simply the most beautiful, impressive and more effective mode of expressing one’s feelings and thoughts.”
Speaking on the occasion, Tamil scholar ‘Kundrakudi’ Ponnambala Adigalar said Alagappa University was the first institution in the State to set up a Tamil culture museum, to preserve and propagate the ancient Tamil culture.
Lauding the devotion shown by Jesuit priest and Tamil scholar Rev G U Pope to Thiruvasagam , he said he was moved to tears, when he read the verses. Ancient Tamil poets advocated universal brotherhood and harmony, he said.
Prof. Subbiah released a compendium containing 100 research articles on 20th century poets and the first copy was received Mr. Adigalar. A guide to Tamil culture museum and a book containing translation of 107 Malay poems into Tamil were also released by the Vice-Chancellor.
Dr Free Hearty from Indonesia, Mr. Shamsudin from Singapore, Mr.Mohammed Shalai Rahmed from Malaysia, Kavignar Thangam Moorthy and Mr Krishnan Maninan, Professor of Indian Studies, University of Malaya, were among other poet-scholars attended the conference.
About 50 poets from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, 50 poets from Tamil Nadu and a host of Tamil scholars attended the conference.
Earlier, Collector G Latha declared open the Tamil Culture Museum established by the Centre for Tamil Culture, Alagappa University, along with BJP leader H. Raja and AIADMK leader Karpagam Ilango.
