[HPI note: Renowned Martiniquan scholar Paul-Henri Ramin, known for his bilingual Tamil / French books and a recording of sacred Tamil Hindu chants, died on Friday 17 April 2009 in Paris at 39 years of age. He was well known and loved in Reunion as well as in the French Caribbean islands. The following is drawn from a eulogy translated from French that highlights some of his contributions to Hindu culture and religion.]
PARIS, FRANCE, April 26, 2009: Paul-Henri Ramin’s goal was to accumulate as much information as possible on Hinduism as practiced in Martinique, Guadeloupe and Reunion, make it available to the faithful and thus reinforce the sometimes threatened cults. He haunted libraries and archives, taught himself to read English and Tamil and ordered hundreds of scriptural and scholarly works on Hinduism from overseas, as well as works on the history and sociology of India and its diaspora. He tracked down photographs on the internet and elsewhere that related to his task. He formed perhaps the most important private library on these subjects. The work of ethnologists owes much to Paul-Henri Ramin. He had all the answers: “What was the traditional profession of this Tamil caste?” “Which mythological element is reflected in this Martiniquan Hindu rite?”
Paul-Henri scheduled bilingual editions of what he considered to be the four most important holy texts of these diasporic religions: the Mariyamman Talattu (Lullaby Mariyamman) was published in 2006 with an accompanying CD, and the Madurai Alangaratc Virani sindu (Incantation to Madurai Virani), also with CD, was published in 2008. The Virani Nadagam Madurai (Madurai viran Drama) and Pusari Pattu (Song of the Priest) were in progress at the time of his death, along with an exhibition of photographs of Indian immigrants from Martinique, Guadeloupe and Reunion. Following his death, these projects are compromised. Any death is an interruption, and Paul-Henri’s was especially so because of the incompleteness of his work.