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The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam will not oppose Hindi if it is not “imposed” on Tamil Nadu and forcing the language on Tamils amounts to playing with their self-respect, state Chief Minister and the ruling party’s president M K Stalin said .
As per PTI report, In a letter to partymen on the issue of alleged Hindi imposition, Stalin said self-respect was Tamils’ ‘unique’ nature.
“For those asking why DMK still opposes Hindi, my humble response to them as one among you is — because you still impose it on us.”
“We won’t oppose if you don’t impose; won’t blacken Hindi words in Tamil Nadu. Self-respect is Tamils’ unique characteristic and we will not allow anyone, whoever it is, to play with it,” he asserted.
Stalin’s remarks come amidst an intense language row in the state, with the DMK alleging that the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre was trying to impose Hindi through the the three-language formula in the National Education Policy (NEP), a charge denied by the union government.
The issue has led to a war of words between the DMK and the state BJP unit, with the saffron party’s TN chief K Annamalai leading the charge.
In his letter, Stalin recalled the anti-Hindi agitations in the state as early as between 1937-39 and said various leaders, including EV Ramasamy ‘Periar’ actively participating in the agitation.
Some BJP leaders were saying the blackening of Hindi names in railway stations would affect north Indian passengers arriving in the state and said “they should have had such concern for Tamil.”
“They should rather pose this question to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan whether name boards in Uttar Pradesh had Tamil and other south Indian languages to benefit passengers from the region travelling there for the Kashi Sangamam and the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj,” the DMK chief said.
He also asked if announcements were made in other Indian languages.
“How would those, who had joined an organisation that is opposed to Tamil and repeatedly betraying Tamil Nadu, voice concern for Tamils and their welfare. The Dravidian movement has no enmity towards any language. Tamil has not considered any language as enemy and destroyed it. It has never allowed another language if it tried to dominate Tamil,” Stalin said.
