Chennai: Opposing what it called “wanton thrusting” of Hindi by the Centre, DMK on Friday announced holding state-wide seminars against it and decided to rope in youngsters and students to create an upsurge against the alleged move.
The main Opposition party in Tamil Nadu asked the Centre to “immediately cease” from its language “chauvinism” of “imposing Hindi.”
In a resolution adopted at the DMK District Secretaries meet held here today, it resolved to take the issue to Tamil Nadu’s youngsters, students and the people and create an up swell on the issue.
The meet, chaired by party working president M K Stalin accused the Centre of “planned slight” of Tamil language.
Recalling the assurance of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru that English will continue to be in use till such time non-Hindi speaking people wanted it, the resolution said the Centre steps has only been in breach of the assurance.
The meet listed initiatives of Centre like celebrating Teacher’s Day as “Guru Utsav,” giving “primacy” to Hindi in “all the universities” and marking milestones in Hindi in Tamil Nadu to claim that the language was being forced on the State.
It also cited the Centre’s recent decision to make Hindi mandatory up to Class X in CBSE schools and in Kendriya Vidyalayas.
Recently, Stalin had opposed a Centre’s proposal to request dignitaries, including the President and union ministers, to deliver their speeches only in Hindi.
Referring to this issue, the meet said the Centre gave an “evasive,” reply that it was only a “request” after the DMK had opposed it.
“BJP regime’s urgency in imposing Hindi is crystal clear,” the resolution said adding the Centre was “disregarding” the sentiments of not only Tamil people but also all other non-Hindi speaking people.
Stalin had also recently said that the Narendra Modi regime should not turn “India into a Hindi nation,” and sow the seeds for another anti-Hindi agitation.
He had been repeatedly “warning” the Centre of anti-Hindi agitations similar to what was witnessed in 1965 in Tamil Nadu.
He had been alleging that ever since BJP assumed power at the Centre, it had been “imposing” Hindi and Sanskrit.
Also, he had recently opposed signages in Hindi on milestones in parts of Tamil Nadu. Also, MDMK and PMK had also opposed it.
PTI