The Tamil Amutham Speech Competition is a wonderfully organised event that is conducted by both Astro Vaanavil (Ch201) and the digital entertainment platform, Astro Ulagam. It is an admirable initiative that is aimed solely at Malaysian children aged 9–12 to showcase their Tamil-speaking skills. Language is a form of identity that ties an individual to the material world. It is not just a mere method of communication but an entity through which culture, history, and power are protected. Language is the medium by which human beings develop consciousness; it is the weapon by which the knowledge of philosophy, politics, and the other sciences develops. The decline and death of a language symbolises the extinction of a people and, along with them, their collective cultural and scientific intellect. It is with this understanding of the significance of language and identity that the Tamil people have protected their mother tongue for thousands of years. That is precisely why initiatives for language preservation conducted by organisations like Astro Vaanavil (Ch201) and Astro Ulagam should be celebrated by the public.
The competition is open to all Malaysian children aged 9 to 12. Participants have to post a recorded speech under 60 seconds in fluent Tamil for them to win a grand prize of RM5,000 in cash. This initiative is a wonderful step towards developing the younger generation’s Tamil language efficiency while also contributing to a more material sense of ethic consciousness and identity. More details on the registration rules and regulations can be found below.
Parents or Guardians can register their child for the competition by following the steps below:
1. Record a video not exceeding 60 seconds of their child speaking on any topic in Tamil, strictly adhering to the language guidelines.
2. Upload on the parents’ or guardians’ social media accounts, which must be set to public during the contest period, and include the hashtag #UlagamTamilAmutham in the caption.
3. Parents or legal guardians must also submit an entry form here.
