NEW DELHI: Residents of Ayapakkam Housing Board in Tiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu on Wednesday staged a unique protest against the Central government’s alleged Hindi imposition by drawing kolams (rangoli) in front of their houses with messages such as ‘Welcome Tamil language’ and ‘Stop Hindi imposition’.
The protest follows DMK leader and Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remarks that Hindi had wiped out several North Indian languages and could threaten Tamil as well.
‘Hindi will destroy Tamil like it did north Indian languages’: Udhayanidhi Stalin
On Tuesday, the INDIA bloc parties in Tamil Nadu came together to protest against the BJP-led central government, accusing it of repeatedly encroaching upon state rights.
The parties highlighted issues such as denial of budget allocations and non-release of educational funds.
Addressing the protest, Udhayanidhi Stalin said, “Hindi destroyed the local languages of the northern states, including Rajasthani, Haryanvi, and Bhojpuri. If imposed in Tamil Nadu, the same fate awaits Tamil.”
He further stated that 99% of Tamilians working abroad and in institutions like ISRO hailed from government schools that did not teach Hindi. Stressing Tamil Nadu’s history of anti-Hindi agitations, he recalled martyrs like Thalamuthu, Natarajan, and Keezhapalur Chinnasamy, who sacrificed their lives for Tamil.
“If funds continue to be denied, protests will intensify and turn into a state-wide movement. ‘Go back Modi’ slogans will escalate to ‘Get out Modi’.
The BJP cannot intimidate us. This is Periyar’s land, Anna’s land, Kalaignar’s land, and a land of self-respect under chief minister MK Stalin,” Udhayanidhi asserted.
INDIA Bloc leaders join protest, target BJP’s ‘One Nation, One Language’ policy
The protest, organized by the INDIA bloc, saw participation from key leaders, including DMK treasurer T R Baalu, VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan, TNCC chief K Selvaperunthagai, MDMK leader Vaiko, CPI(M) state secretary P Shanmugam, CPI state secretary R Mutharasan, Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi founder T Velmurugan, and KMDK president E R Eswaran.
Thirumavalavan alleged that the BJP’s Hindi push was part of its ‘One Nation, One Language’ agenda to make Hindi the national language.
Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi takes a veiled swipe at Tamil leaders
Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi on Wednesday criticized those who claim to uphold Tamil language and culture but fail to contribute meaningfully. Without naming anyone, Ravi called such statements “hollow rhetoric” and emphasized the need to preserve and promote Tamil’s literary heritage.
Speaking at an event felicitating Seeni Viswanathan, a Padma Shri awardee for his work on Mahakavi Subramania Bharathiar’s literary chronology, Ravi stressed the need for society to take ownership of Bharathiar’s legacy. He noted that under the leadership of President Droupadi Murmu, Raj Bhavan had installed a Bharathiar statue, conducted a state-level essay competition, and renamed the Durbar Hall as Bharathiar Mandapam.
Highlighting the lack of dedicated Bharathiar studies in Tamil Nadu universities, Ravi questioned why a Bharathiar Chair could be set up at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but not in Tamil Nadu. He claimed vice-chancellors willing to establish such initiatives faced ‘pressure and threats.’
“Mahakavi Bharathiar lives in the hearts of the people, yet his legacy is being undermined by a chauvinistic ecosystem in Tamil Nadu, which seeks to erase his contributions through active indifference and passive hostility,” Ravi alleged.
He further remarked that this ‘ecosystem’ avoids discussing Bharathiar’s ideas because he envisioned an inclusive Bharat, spoke of harmony between Kashi and Kanchi, and upheld the Vedas—perspectives that challenge their narrative.