Nearly 2000 delegates from all over the world are expected to participate in the World Classical Tamil Conference to be held at Coimbatore from June 23 to June 27, 2010, said Dr. M. Rajendran, Vice-Chancellor of Tamil University, who is also the Co-ordinator of the Academic committee of the conference here on Wednesday.
He told The Hindu that invitations have been sent to scholars in various countries to take part in the conference. Those to whom invitations have been sent include George Hart of California, Thomas Malton of Germany, Asher of United Kingdom, Alexander Dibianku etc.
Nearly 50 to 60 delegates are expected from Sri Lanka. Academic committee chairperson K. Sivathambi of Sri Lanka has confirmed this, Mr. Rajendran said.
Those who want to present papers at the conference have been asked to send their synopsis. It will be reviewed by experts and once cleared, the scholars will be given air fares to participate in the conference, Dr. Rajendran said. There is no registration fee for the conference. Papers will be presented on nearly 49 topics. They include Tamil and world classical languages, literature, grammar, linguistics, Dravidian linguistics, traditional arts, folk literature, archaeology, epigraphy, numismatics, history, comparative literature, Tamil works in other countries, translation, Tribal languages of Tamil Nadu, Tamil and Philosophy, Children's literature, modern literature, computer Tamil, Thamizhisai, environment and Tamil, Tamil medicine, Dalithism, Feminism etc.
Tamil University will soon launch a website for the conference. On-line registration can be done.
Parallel sessions will go on in 12 halls. There will be a plenary session, symposia, special session and general session. Total of 324 papers are expected to be presented in these sessions to be held for three days, Dr. Rajendran said. There will be seminars on media Tamil and sessions for small newspapers and journal publishers and editors. Representatives of various Tamil Sangams including the Colombo Tamil Sangam have also been invited, Dr. Rajendran added.
Meanwhile, the Syndicate of the Tamil University has congratulated and thanked the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi for conducting the conference in a resolution adopted at its meeting here on Tuesday.
