'Tamil and Kannada are sisters': Badri Seshadri on Kamal Haasan’s language row

Actor-politician Kamal Haasan’s recent statement claiming that Kannada is “born out of” Tamil has sparked a fierce linguistic and political row between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

As politicians and public figures weigh in on the issue, The Federal’s Mahalingam Ponnusamy speaks to writer, publisher, and political analyst Badri Seshadri, who unpacks the historical, linguistic, and cultural dimensions of this long-standing debate.

Many politicians in Tamil Nadu have supported Kamal's view that Tamil is the mother of all South Indian languages. What’s your take on it?

Also read: Exclusive | Still ready for talks with Kamal: KFCC

So, what do linguists say about the relationship between Tamil and other South Indian languages?

Linguistically, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, and Malayalam are all part of the Dravidian family. They’re related, but not in a simple mother-child way. For instance, Tamil uses 'Amma' and 'Appa' for mother and father, respectively — so do Kannada, Malayalam, and Telugu, more or less. North Indian Indo-Aryan languages also use 'Ma' and 'Pa', but with a different structure—'Matra' and 'Pitra' in Sanskrit—closer to Greek and Latin.

There’s also a misconception in Karnataka. Some claim Kannada has nothing to do with Tamil and is instead derived from Sanskrit. That’s inaccurate. All South Indian languages have loanwords from Sanskrit, but Tamil has resisted them more than others. That’s why we saw the emergence of the 'Pure Tamil' or 'Tani Tamil' movement aimed at removing Sanskritic words. A similar 'Pacha Malayalam' movement exists in Kerala.

How old are these linguistic divergences? Are Tamil and Malayalam closer to each other than Tamil and Kannada?

Malayalam separated from Tamil only around 1,000 years ago, which is quite recent. The divergence between Tamil and Kannada is older— about 2,500 to 3,000 years. Telugu’s divergence might go back 4,000 years. The longer the time since separation, the greater the differences.

What do linguists say about the origins of these languages? Is there a 'mother language' that preceded them?

Linguists believe that all Dravidian languages come from a common ancestral language that is no longer extant. This mother language can’t be evidenced through fossils like in biology, but linguistic structures and commonalities point toward it.

There are also 30 to 40 smaller languages—often spoken by tribal or isolated communities—like Irula, Toda, and Kuruba, which are part of the Dravidian family. Linguists have built grammars for many of these, even though the speakers themselves may not have a written tradition.

The term 'Dravidian' is just a label. In Sanskrit literature, 'Dravida' has referred both to the Tamil language and to the geography of South India. That’s why in the national anthem, 'Dravida' refers to South India, not just Tamil.

Politicians sometimes claim that Tamil is the mother of all world languages, or that migration started from Tamil lands. How credible are such statements?

These claims are baseless. Politicians say things with zero factual value. The world is vast and complex, and we have solid evidence of human migration patterns that contradict such notions. Modern humans have migrated out of Africa and settled across the globe in complex waves.

Such claims may help run a political “shop,” but for those who truly seek knowledge, there’s ample research and credible sources available. I encourage youngsters and students to read and learn from linguistic science.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah called Kamal Haasan’s claim a “complete lie”. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu hasn’t issued an official response. Do you think state governments have a role in this?

Not really. There’s no need for state governments to get involved. As for Kamal Haasan’s statement, linguistics offers no basis to claim that Tamil is the mother and Kannada is the child. What is more accurate is that Tamil and Kannada are sisters. That’s where it should end.

Unfortunately, political groups may now respond with calls to ban Kamal’s movies in Karnataka or demand an apology. Kamal might refuse to apologise. This is all political theatre. What matters is that sensible Kannadigas—whether the general public, professors, or linguistic enthusiasts—know better.

Is there any linguistic hegemony in these debates—claims of one language being “greater” than another?

Absolutely. When people say “my language is better than yours” or imply a hierarchical relationship, that’s incendiary and factually baseless. Languages can and should be celebrated, but not in hegemonistic terms.

Tamil has a lot to be proud of. It boasts the oldest body of literature among the Dravidian languages, such as the Sangam corpus. Tamil also has the oldest inscriptions in South India, dating back to at least the 3rd century BCE. At that time, inscriptions in other South Indian regions were in Prakrit or Sanskrit. The earliest Kannada inscriptions come from around the 5th century CE; Telugu’s are later still, and Malayalam’s even later.

Another common debate is about the mixing of Sanskrit and Dravidian languages. How did this happen?

Language mixing is natural when people interact. Today, we use many English words in our daily Tamil. Similarly, the earliest known Tamil literature—the Sangam texts—already contains Sanskrit loanwords.

Conversely, early Sanskrit texts, including the Vedas, have Dravidian loanwords. This shows that people were already bilingual or learning multiple languages and borrowing freely. It reflects a rich cultural interaction, not a one-way dominance.

Any final thoughts?

It’s important for all of us to approach these topics with a rational and evidence-based mindset. Political narratives should not cloud scholarly inquiry. Languages are living histories—we should study them with curiosity, not chauvinism.

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