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Updated September 18th, 2019 at 18:36 IST

Chidambaram takes U-turn, says Hindi imposition a dangerous idea

P Chidambaram said that floating Hindi as a single language is a dangerous idea and asked party members to join the protests called by DMK chief MK Stalin

Reported by: Devarshi mankad
Chidambaram
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P Chidambaram on Wednesday has released a statement via his Twitter account saying that he is not in support of the idea of having Hindi as the official language of the country. The former Finance Minister, who is currently lodged in Tihar jail in New Delhi, said that floating Hindi as the single language is a dangerous idea and Tamil people, along with those speaking other languages, will never allow the same.

READ |  Rahul Gandhi Enters Hindi Row: 'Many Languages, Not India’s Weakness'

In a series of tweets, Chidambaram said,

The leader also stated, "We support the development of all languages, but we will never accept the idea that Hindi alone will unite the people of this country". Chidambaram, who hails from Tamil Nadu, also called for the state's Congress President, KS Azhagiri, to join the protest called by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief MK Stalin on September 20 against the imposition of Hindi. Chidambaram added, "I urge the TNCC president S. Azhagiri to ask all Congress workers to join the state-wide protest announced by the DMK on 20.09.2019 to oppose the imposition of Hindi."

However, his sudden change in stance contradicts his own statement from 2010 where he had said that he hoped that the then Vice President, Hamid Ansari, would help to promote Hindi as the language for the entire nation. The video of Chidambaram promoting Hindi was shared by Kiren Rijiju on Twitter after the government received backlash on Amit Shah's comments. Rijiju pointed out that it was the Congress party's stand and they should convey the same to their allies.

READ | CPI On Hindi Diwas: Language Shouldn't Be Used For Divisive Purpose

Shah on 'One Nation One Language'

Home Minister Amit Shah, in a speech on the occasion of Hindi Diwas on September 14 said, "Friends, people think that various languages and dialects are a burden for the nation, but I believe that the various languages and dialects are the strength of our country. However, there is a need for having one language so that other foreign languages do not find a place. Keeping that in mind, our forefathers had thought of one language for the entire nation, and the language proposed was Hindi."

READ | Amit Shah A Home Wrecker: Siddaramaiah Over Hindi Imposition

Opposition leaders respond

In response, Stalin hit back saying that this idea will be completely unacceptable and that they will hold a state-wide protest, which will be the first step, and depending on the Centre's reply to the same, the DMK will align with other parties who have the same stance and conduct further protests. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the Shah's statement was 'absurd'. He said, "The claim that Hindi unifies our country is absurd. That language is not the mother tongue of a majority of Indians. The move to inflict Hindi upon them amounts to enslaving them. Union Minister’s statement is a war cry against the mother tongues of non-Hindi speaking people." Various other political leaders from across the nation have also come out against the idea of having one language for the entire country.

READ | Rajinikanth Opposes Hindi Imposition, Says ''People Will Not Tolerate'

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Published September 18th, 2019 at 15:21 IST

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