'NO' surnames - Tamil Nadu
We (Tamilians, people from TamilNadu - a southern state in India) don't use our surnames in regular Indian sense of showing off the caste we belong to. When people asks me why I dont have a surname, I reply them with a smile for I can't explain the long history of Dravidian Politics, socio-economic situation of Tamil Nadu during 1900's and the counter-social revolution which emerged in response to the dominant Hindi majority which all played a major role in why nearly 70 million Tamilians don't have a surname. Here is the gist- Dravidian parties, which rose during 1940's were of opinion that having caste based and social status based surnames are a vestige of the past and hence were hell bent on removing that practice, for it propagated discrimination. This action was part of the empowerment of Backward castes which had lesser opportunities in Education and work due to the discrimination which was meted out. And hence forth people who were born after 1950's effectively didn't have caste based titles as last names and adopted the current style of [Given Name][Father's Name]. This also reflects the changed political and social environment inTamil Nadu , which has always been at odds in comparison to rest of India. And the best part is even roads and streets in Tamil Nadu is surname-neutral . So hail Equality and Social Justice .
Oddly the most caste-obsessed people I've met are Tamilians.
Agreed. Born and raised a tambram, but dont identify as one. Hate and detest the misinformed superiority complex.
Ok so is Beyoncé tamilian too
Yes. Everyone knows that
Why do you guys have to differentiate yourself from rest of India. You guys deserve separate country...
Fuck no
Having been a person who loves to travel and eat - I have never known a country that is as rich in diversity as India is - whether it is language (YES LANGUAGE), traditions, or food. We (indians) describe and boast India as the most diverse country on the planet and cannot stop describing the different foods and festivals we celebrate. However the reality is, we try to establish common grounds and try to bias and treat fellow people based on those ideologies. We mock people for not speaking Hindi, or judge them for eating beef, or discriminate them based on religious or caste preference. In the recent times the discrimination and the violence related to it has multiplied. Where are we headed to? Where is our appreciation for 'unity in diversity'? Why are we establishing standards? - India is not just a hindu country nor just a hindi speaking country! India's uniqueness is in her diversity - If you do not embrace it, you will lose it.
In the USA, poor people said their grandmother would dry and bake the cowpies and eat them.
👌 Whole India should adopt that
OP, you seem to know a lot and to have an impending need to share. Could you clarify for me: are tamilians related to reptilians ?
Good story. Honestly, a lot of cultures use paternal names extensively. In Scandinavian cultures a lot of what are now considered surnames are just paternal names that the family eventually stuck with (eg Anderson, Peterson, Johnson). Iceland almost exclusively uses paternal names even today; consider the actor that plays "The Mountain" on GoT, Halfthor Bjornnson (Halfthor son of Bjornn). In any case, what you described isn't weird at all, but in a sense, your paternal name is your surname for all that us Westerners care, right?
I'm Taiwanese so forgive the ignorance. My understanding is that Tamils are a sizeable group within the Indian diapsora, but far from the majority. Are Tamils a very successful group among Indians? I notice that a lot of Tamils (in America at least) are very accomplished. Is there a reason for that?
Haha your ceo is Tamil
Tamilians are very accomplished probably because of lot of social reforms, Dravidian pride and Tenacity to fight. I am a Telugu
Looks like your friend was messing with you
Thanks for clarifying