Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to refrain from organizing Hindi-oriented events in non-Hindi speaking states, urging respect for India’s linguistic diversity. The appeal was made in a letter to the Prime Minister, just hours before a political controversy erupted over the omission of the word “Dravidam” from the Tamil Thai Vazhthu during an event attended by Governor R N Ravi in Chennai.
Stalin’s message emphasized the importance of recognizing and respecting the diverse languages spoken across India, particularly in a multilingual nation like India where no language holds the status of a “national language” as per the Constitution. He expressed concerns over the Union Government’s decision to celebrate Hindi Month in non-Hindi speaking states, suggesting that this could be perceived as an attempt to belittle other languages.
In his letter, Stalin said, “In a multilingual country like India, according a special place to Hindi and celebrating Hindi Month in non-Hindi speaking states is seen as an attempt to belittle other languages. Therefore, I suggest that holding such Hindi language-oriented events in non-Hindi speaking States could be avoided.” He further proposed that if the Union Government insisted on conducting such celebrations, they should also observe the local language month in respective states “with equal warmth and importance.”
The Chief Minister highlighted the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of Chennai Doordarshan, which were combined with the culmination of Hindi Month Celebrations on Friday, as an example of this issue. He pointed out that such events send a wrong signal to the local populace, particularly in Tamil Nadu, which has long championed linguistic pride and resisted attempts to impose Hindi.
Stalin also reiterated that the Indian Constitution does not grant Hindi the status of a national language. “The Constitution of India does not accord national language status to any language. Hindi and English are used only for official purposes such as legislation, judiciary, and communication between the Union and State Governments,” the CM said in his letter.
The timing of Stalin’s letter is significant, given the subsequent omission of a line celebrating the pride of ‘Dravidam’ from the Tamil Thai Vazhthu at the same event. This omission led to widespread political backlash in Tamil Nadu, with accusations that the Governor and the organizers had deliberately insulted the state’s Dravidian heritage.
Stalin’s call to Prime Minister Modi comes at a time when Tamil Nadu’s political climate is particularly sensitive to issues of language and identity. The state has a long history of opposition to the imposition of Hindi, dating back to the anti-Hindi agitations of the 1960s. The CM’s request is likely to resonate with people in the state, where linguistic pride remains a key element of political discourse.
