Nirmala Sitharaman leans on her roots to quote from Tamil poets

‘Bhoomi Thirutthi Unn’ 'பூமி திருத்தி உண்’ – Athichudi, ‘ஆத்திசூடி’ – 82

Quoting from Tamil poet Avviyaar's cryptic word couplets in Athichudi, FM Nirmala Sitharaman, leaned on her Tamil moorings to convey the importance of agriculture, role of the farmer and the need for healthy farming. The three word couplet ‘Bhoomi thiruthhi unn’ meaning ‘Till the land properly and eat’ effectively buttresses a wide gamut of government intentions and programs sought to be conveyed in the Budget from – priority for agriculture, self-sufficiency in multiple crops, optimum supply and use of fertilizers, provision of water and emphasis on ‘farm to plate’ supply chain efficiency including food processing and cold chains.

Avviyaar (meaning 'Respectable Woman) was said to be the title of more than one poet who composed poems during different periods of Tamil literature. The third Avvaiyar is most widely known for her ‘Aathi Soodi, Vinayagar Agaval’’, ‘Kondrai Vendhan’, ‘Nalvazhi’ and ‘Moodhurai’. Her three word couplets in ‘Atthichudi’ are legendary in conveying wisdom to children and everyone else on the conduct of various facets of life. Avvaiyar’s works are very much like that of ‘Thiruvalluvar’, well-known for his ‘Thirukkural’, extracts of which have been quoted by earlier FMs as well.


It was not surprising for the FM to go on to quote ‘Thirukkural’ to say "freedom from illness, wealth, good harvest, happiness and security are the five jewels of good governance is what wise men say. The context is the Modi government’s programmes linking Ayushman Bharat, wealth creation programs, farmer’s programs, welfare programs and security programs.

It is said that one of the Avvaiyars was among the several scholars present at the time when Valluvar submitted his masterpiece of the Tirukkural at the Madurai College. Soon after the presentation and the subsequent acceptance by the scholars,the Pandiyan King, Idiakkadar praised Valluvar and the Kural text saying

“

The Kural contains much in a little compass. Such is the ingenuity of its author, that he has compressed within its narrow limits all the branches of knowledge, as if he had hollowed a mustard seed, and enclosed all the waters of the seven seas in it.

”

Listening to this, Avvaiyar remarked to him that it would be more appropriate to liken the Kural text to an atom, that is even smaller than a mustard seed.] Both Idaikaadar and Avvaiyar’s remarks appear as the last two verses of the Tiruvalluva Malai.