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        When it comes to promoting Tamil language, the present Tamilnadu government goes out of the way to offer many concessions including monetary benefits.

        Slashing of entertainment tax for Tamil movies coming with pure Tamil name is a case in point. One more step in that direction is the slashing of charges for changing names to Tamil. But it seems Tamils are not enthusiastic by the latest move.

        The State government issued an order on 3 August 2006 slashing the name-change charge from Rs 445 to Rs 50, but it was implemented only from 13 December last year, when guidelines pertaining to identifying a Tamil name were laid. Since then, only 13 names have been gazetted, said sources at Printing and Stationery Department. Every day, 60 to 70 people come for name- change to be published in the gazette, he said. Most of them change their names for the sake of numerology .

        The GO was issued as per the announcement made by the Chief Minister M Karunanidhi during the Budget session of the Assembly saying that the government had not intended to punish those who wish to change their name to Tamil by charging high.

        It was Dalit Panthers of India's Mangalore MLA K Selvam, who raised the issue in the Assembly, told News Today that the DPI had launched a campaign to change Sanskrit names to Tamil and thousands of its partymen had changed names. But, the names could not be gazetted because the charges had been revised from Rs 220 to Rs 445 then, he noted.

        Selvam said that he himself was going to change his name as Selvaperunthagai in the coming weeks to motivate others like his party general secretary Thol Thirumavalavan who changed his father name to Tamil as 'Tholkappiar.' He further said that the party would urge its cadres, who had changed their name, to publish it in the gazette by availing themselves of the slashed charges. Urging its cadres to have Tamil name, he said the party's rules would be amended so that only members with Tamil name could be an office-bearer.

        Welcoming the move to slash charge to encourage change of name to Tamil , R K Muthu, treasurer, of Tamilnadu Progressive Writers Association, said, 'this move is a progressive step to protect the Tamil language and its cultural identity. Tamils should be conscious about this.' He said, 'Even though countries like France, Italy, China and Japan come into contact with different culture, they have managed to retain their national identity.' He added, 'this is possible only through the State support.' Whereas in India, he said, 'Central government is providing stipend for encouraging only Hindi learners studying in universities in non-Hindi States but were leaving other national languages such as Tamil on the wayside.'