'States Which Implemented Hindi Lost Their Mother Tongues': Udhayanidhi Triggers Language Row, BJP Responds

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin started off a language row saying that states which have implemented Hindi as a language has eventually lost their mother tongue. Citing the example of Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Punjab, Udhayanidhi said these states lost their languages, owing to Hindi imposition. 

“All of you think this through, many states lost their mother tongue. Like Haryana lost Haryanvi, Biharis lost Bihari and Chhattisgarh lost their own mother tongue. There are multiple states that lost their mother tongue after implementing Hindi in their state as a language for communication and learning. But here it's not like that," the Deputy CM said. 

Udhayanidhi said that the Tamil language movement, which started off during the times of Periyar EV Ramasamy and former Chief Minister CN Annadurai, continues with the same intensity even today. "CN Annadurai and Periyar earlier paved a road and fought through and DMK continues to do so,” he said, pointing out that Tamil Nadu holds a unique place in the world for having sacrificed their lives to protect their mother tongue.

“Hindi has become a language that swallows many mother tongues. That is why Tamil Nadu has consistently opposed Hindi imposition. Many other states are now beginning to follow Tamil Nadu’s stand on language rights. Tamil Nadu would strongly oppose Hindi imposition, the New Education Policy, and any other form of coercion by the Union Government,” the Deputy CM was quoted as saying by ANI.

Udhayanidhi  was addressing a public meeting organised by the Chennai North-East District DMK in Tiruvottiyur on Sunday. The event was held in honour of people who died during the language agitation in the state in the late 1930s.

How The BJP Responded

In response to Udhayanidhi's remarks against Hindi imposition, senior BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan said that Hindi is only a choice of language in the New Education Policy. She also pointed out that the DMK is in alliance with the Congress in Tamil Nadu, though the grand old party had tried to impose Hindi on Tamils in an order before 1965.

“They cannot say BJP is forcing Hindi because it was just a choice to choose as a language. It was Congress that pushed the order before 1965 and the DMK is happily in relation with Congress that shot dead their men during the Hindi imposition agitation in state,” Soundararajan said.

Tamil Nadu's political landscape is heated up as the state is headed for its assembly elections this year. The ruling DMK government has been accusing the BJP-led Union government of imposing Hindi in the southern state.

ALSO READ: Not Against Hindi, But Dravidian Movement Opposes Its Imposition: Tamil Nadu Deputy CM Stalin