NEW DELHI — Amid ongoing language war, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin took to social media on Thursday to hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre over the “imposition of Hindi.” He said, “Demanding linguistic equality is not chauvinism.”
He went on to remind the public of the accusations directed at his party (DMK) by certain “bigots.” He said, “Some entitled bigots brand us chauvinists and anti-nationals for the ‘crime’ of demanding Tamil’s rightful place in Tamil Nadu.”
Launching a scathing attack on the PM Modi-led union government, MK Stalin said, “Do you want to know what Chauvinism looks like? Chauvinism is naming the three criminal laws that govern 140 crore citizens in a language that Tamils cannot even pronounce or comprehend by reading.”
Stalin also commented on the Centre’s National Education Policy (NEP), saying, “Chauvinism is treating the state that contributes the most to the nation as second-class citizens and denying its fair share for refusing to swallow the poison called NEP.”
The Tamil Nadu government has strongly opposed implementing the New Education Policy (NEP) of 2020, raising concern over the “three-language formula” and alleging that the Centre wants to “impose” Hindi.
The Tamil Nadu CM wrote, “Imposition of anything breeds enmity. Enmity threatens unity. Hence, the true chauvinists and anti-nationals are the Hindi zealots who believe their entitlement is natural but our resistance is treason.”
Earlier in the day, MK Stalin took to X to evoke the spirit of the 1967 Tamil language protests, urging the state to rise against what he called the imposition of Hindi.
Sharing a photograph of former CM Annadurai, Stalin reminded the people of the 1967 anti-Hindi movement in the state.
“1967: Anna sat down; Tamil Nadu rose! If any harm comes to proud Tamil Nadu, let us roar like wildfire! Let us celebrate the victory!” he posted on microblogging site X, drawing parallels between past struggles and current challenges.
BJP reacts: ‘Nobody is imposing Hindi’
BJP senior leader Tamilisai Soundararajan said nobody is imposing Hindi, reports Livemint. She called Stalin an “outdated CM”.
“We are not ‘imposing’. We are condemning it. He is disturbed about the signature campaign which started yesterday. He is afraid of it. The third language is not only for opportunity but also for communication,” she said on Thursday. — With inputs from Livemint
