‘This is India not Hindia’: Tamil Nadu parties reject Amit Shah’s views on Hindi as a national unifier

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Updated: Jun 29, 2020 22:01 IST

Displaying a rare unanimity, political parties in Tamil Nadu cutting across party lines, have opposed Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s call to make Hindi, the unifying language in the country by taking it to every individual and home and using it in every aspect of life.

Both the ruling AIADMK and the opposition DMK were on the same page on this issue.

Minister for Tamil Development and Culture Mafoi K Pandiarajan said that the Centre shouldn’t impose Hindi at this juncture.

“...All the 22 languages should be nourished and people in due course will opt for one among them as the national language,” Pandiarajan said.

Going a step further, Education Minister KA Sengottaiyan asserted that the state is wedded to the teaching of two language formula (Mother tongue Tamil and English) which was being implemented since the days of Anna, the Dravidian stalwart and former Chief Minister CN Annadurai.

“Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami had made it clear to the PM and the Home Minister during his interactions that Tamil Nadu would follow only the two language formula,” he said, accompanied by Fisheries Minister K Jayakumar.

Warning the Centre of another language war, DMK president MK Stalin demanded Amit Shah to take back his statement on Hindi as they were detrimental to national unity and integrity.

“This is India not Hindia. The DMK will not hesitate to unite states which might lose their legitimate rights on account of Hindi hegemony. The party’s high-level policy making body will meet on Monday to decide on the future course of action,” he told the media.

Also Read: On Hindi Diwas, PM Narendra Modi says ‘Hindi integrates simplicity, clarity and elegance’

Marumalarchi DMK (MDMK) general secretary Vaiko is of the view that imposing Hindi would Balkanise the nation.

“Imposing Hindi on non-Hindi speaking states would lead to the Balkanisation of the country with only the Hindi speaking states remaining in the Indian Union,” Vaiko said.

According to Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) president Thol Thirumavalavan, MP, Hindi has become a tool in the hands of the BJP to realise its majoritarian policy of ‘one nation, one culture’.

“This is part of the BJP’s hegemonic policy of Hindu majoritarianism, which poses a grave threat not only to the minorities but also to secular democracy and pluralism,” he said.

Amit Shah’s ‘Hindi a unifier’ appeal stirs row, opposition call it ‘a bid to impose’

The OBC-Vanniyar dominant Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), an ally of the BJP, too was sharp in its condemnation of Shah’s views.

“Hindi can never be the identity of India on the global arena. Amit Shah is wrong as it contains the seeds of divisiveness,” tweeted PMK president S Ramadoss.

The CPI state unit and Amma Makkal Munntera Kazhagam general secretary TTV Dhinakaran also criticised the Home Minister for his advocacy of Hindi.

Also Read: Hindi Diwas 2019: Interesting facts, why Hindi is not India’s national language and why Gulab jamun, samosa, jalebi are not Hindi words