The major “achievement” by the Dravidian parties is that they have succeeded in creating a wide gap between the Tamils and the North Indian politicians
The Dravidian parties, especially the DMK, are on cloud nine as they got what they have been waiting for in a platter delivered to them by the country’s home minister himself. The speech made by Amit Shah on the occasion of the Hindi Diwas (Hindi Day) that Hindi was the only language that can unify the country and steps should be taken to promote it has resulted in Tamil Nadu turning into a cauldron of regionalism, secessionism and parochialism.
M K Stalin, the DMK’s president and the chief minister-in-waiting saw a golden opportunity to score political brownie points against the BJP, a non-entity in Tamil Nadu. “Making Hindi as the national language would make non-Hindi speaking people the secondary citizen and undermine the country. If a language spoken by more people should be the national language, them the ubiquitous crow, and not the peacock, should be the national bird,” said Stalin within hours of Shah’s speech.
Hindi was the language spoken by more than two-thirds of India’s population and the language was connected to other north Indian languages through an unseen umbilical cord.
The DMK convened its high-level executive committee meeting at Chennai on Monday and it was decided to launch a State-wide agitation against the move by the Centre to impose Hindi. A party resolution charged that the BJP-led government at the Centre was attempting to turn India into a Hindi speaking country. “That the Home Minister is propagating Hindi and is acting against languages including Tamil that are in the 8th schedule is a danger to the foundations of these languages,” said the DMK statement.
The DMK’s opposition to Hindi is ‘infamous’ as the party considers it as well as Sanskrit as Hindu languages. Tamil Nadu is the only State in India where Hindi is not taught in schools following the State Government Syllabus. It was the anti-Hindi agitation of the early 1960s that helped the DMK to capture power in Tamil Nadu in the 1967 assembly election and since then there was no looking back for the Dravidian parties. The Congress, which had ruled the State uninterrupted till 1967 is now considered as a B-team of the DMK.
Not to be left behind by Big Brother DMK, the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee passed a resolution on Tuesday condemning the union home minister for his announcement that Hindi was the language that united India. K S Alagiri, TNCC president who is a close acolyte of party strongman P Chidambaram has declared that the party cadre would show black flag against Shah during his next visit to the State. This was the ‘reception” the DMK had accorded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi whenever the latter came to the State. The reason given by Stalin was that Modi is anti-Tamil.
Right across Anna Arivalayam, the DMK’s imposing headquarters at Teynampet in Chennai’s Mount Road stands an elegant, aristocratic but simple building by name Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha. It was an institution launched in 1918 by a 49-year old man by name Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi with the aim of propagating Hindi in southern States.
“‘Hindi Prachar’ was a movement that emerged as part of Freedom Movement and the leaders who led the nation to ‘FREE INDIA’ felt the necessity of making a single Indian Language the National Language, and through that language unify the people and thereby intensify National Integration. 1927 saw the emergence of Dakshina Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha as an independent organisation and Mahatma Gandhi was its President till he breathed his last,” says the DBHPS website.
The fact that this frail-looking man who conquered the hearts of Indians with his simplicity and humbleness considered it as a privilege to head the Hindi Prachar Sabha for three decades speaks a lot about his passion for the language and the unity of India. He did not promote Gujarati, his mother tongue. Hindi was the language spoken by more than two-thirds of India’s population and the language was connected to other north Indian languages through an unseen umbilical cord.
Interestingly people of Kerala, who are obsessed with their Onam and Vishu never had any issue in accepting Hindi as their own language.
It’s time, the Home Minister understand the truth that there are no friends for him in the media.
The declaration made by the Congress in Tamil Nadu is perplexing as well as surprising. What Amit Shah did on Hindi Diwas was to remind the country about the wish of the Father of the Nation. The question being asked in Tamil Nadu, though in a lighter vein, is that whether Mahatma Gandhi too, has become a persona non grata for the Congress since Modi and Shah are echoing former’s stance! It may be remembered that Shah is not pitching for Gujarati, his mother tongue but for Hindi, a language from which Tamil movie makers and musicians plagiarise without any shame.. Listen to some of the popular Tamil film songs and you will find their resemblance with Hindi film songs!!
The DMK which has been out of power in Tamil Nadu since 2011 and out of the corridors of power in Delhi since 2013 is anxious to regain its authority at least in the State. Hence it has found a strategy– promote regionalism, secession and a non-existent Tamil nationalism. The Dravidian parties’ opposition to Hindi has degenerated to comic level but at a heavy cost. Tamil Nadu is the only state in India which does not have a single Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, a public school concept brought about by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. His objective was to make available public school education to the least privileged sections of the society at no cost. Each district in the country (barring Tamil Nadu) has these schools where wards of socially, economically backward people are offered free education with boarding and lodging Students of Tamil Nadu gave to watch unbelievably while their counterparts get quality education absolutely free. More than education, the Navodaya network plays a major role in unifying the alumnus which need not be elaborated.
The Tamil Nadu government in its affidavit to the Madras High Court had the audacity to state that it would not allow Navodaya Vidyalayas because Hindi was not welcome in the State. Isn’t it like denying the right of the children to learn the language of their choice? The quality of education in Tamil Nadu schools itself is a matter of concern. It is the poor standard of the syllabus taught in government schools that result in the students from the State failing to score in NEET and other examinations.
Even as the Dravidian parties oppose the introduction of Hindi in schools, there are hundreds of private schools owned and operated by the close relations of the Dravidian politicians where Hindi and Sanskrit are taught. But only the rich and elite could send their children to such schools where education come at a premium of Rs 25,000 per month!
What is disturbing is the presence of anti-national forces and pro-LTTE elements along with the DMK and the Congress in their opposition to Hindi. The crisis in Punjab during the 1980s was born out agitation against Hindi but that had to do a lot with the power politics in the most prosperous state of India. It was the Congress party which stoked the secessionist feelings in Punjab with the intention to subvert the growth of Akali politics. The State is yet to recover from the wounds of the 1980s.
By the time the article was completed the Home Minister issued a statement that he never meant to impose Hindi over non-Hindi people and that his statement was distorted. It’s time, the Home Minister understands the truth that there are no friends for him in the media. The entire Indian media is braying for his blood and they would not hesitate to go to any extent to subvert his career.
If the Dravidians continue with their hatred for Hindi and passion for Tamil, the defence ministry may have to ask the Indian Army establishment to find out suitable Tamil words for Peeche Mood and Baaye Mood, the commands given during parades and march pasts!
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Because of the outdated two language formula imposed in students studying under state dispensation their standard of Tamil and English are very poor.This should not be practised this time with the option of NEP giving one more opportunity to mend the wrong committed earlier. Given the choice no native will pitch for all three non Tami language.Tamil will be taken upinvariably by all including non Tamils settled here.It is also a great language appreciated by all.Then why fear for its extinction by giving opportunity to other Indian languages.
Let better sense prevail among public and let them show the will and power to come out of Dravidian cliche in this regard.
It would be a good idea for those blinkered by linguistic nationalism to learn from the wonderful example set by our armed forces. Do the Dumb Moronic Krooks think that they can survive even for an hour in Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi or Ahmedabad or for that matter the North-east without knowing Hindi? Like it or not, Hindu has the largest number of speakers in India. All cinema actors aspire to act and make a name by acting in a Bollywood movie. A pint-sized, ageing, ‘liberal,’ secular actor who is now making a political gesture by opposing Hindu imposition, became a star of national standing only after he acted in a handful of Bollywood entertainers. In short, let us stick to the 3 language formula. Without Hindu and English, those from the South would be left out of the national and internationally.
sir,dont feel pity for tn children..this article says ‘every district in country has navodaya schools for under privileged’.Kindly have a look at the reality of schooling in northern states like bihar,up,chhattisgarh.
Calling names is when you can not face truth. Dravid Aryan invasion theory is debunked already, confessed by original conspirators too. They are busy writing new theories to confuse us. Finding some DNA from Europe is like to say that Indian who went for job from India built the American civilization. Brahminism is not a religion. Dravidian hero Ravan was a brahmin. Your name ‘Vignesh’ is a sanskrit name, so is that of Karunanidhi. I am kannadiga and do not speak for me while talking against Hindi. I am opposed to Hindi where they do not have local language. If they follow 3 language formula, then it is good for all. While you talking about left-right in english, you too as Tamilian, are talking in English though you talk as if you fight for Tamil. Open mind, reading work from other thinkers that communists will do well. Read ” New documentary on colonial consciousness and indian culture” to get proper context. Read about our education system on beutiful tree. Instead of name calling, I challenge you to counter various Sadguru’s videos.
There are numerous discrepancies in this article. This why you shouldnt fetch your facts from a skunk like subramanian swamy. Hindi is a third language in many private schools in TN and most of them are not owned by the DMK or its associates. Sanskrit is a brahminical language and it was considered blasphemous if spoken by anyone else other than a brahmin. Interestingly, Brahminism was a distinct religion as against mainstream Hinduism. Both hindi and sanskrit are obviously Aryan derivatives. They have got nothing to do with Dravidian languages. It is puzzling as to why non-Aryans should learn an Aryan language merely to pander to the needs of non-eloquent hindi speakers who are unable to comprehend the fact that it is more beneficial to learn the current global language for multinational trade and commerce. The very purpose of globalisation is obviously defeated. The Govt invested heavily in hindi prachar sabhas over the last 70 years by wasting tax payers money belonging not only to hindi speakers but also to non-hindi speakers. It must be noted that non-hindi speakers contribute to a greater share of India’s GDP. High GDP-producing states like Gujarat, Punjab, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, TamilNadu, Andhra/Telungana, West Bengal have their own languages which are gradually being decimated because of the arrogance of Aryan politicians. Hindi speakers are under the impression that these States have unconditional love for the hindi language which in itself has no culture of Classical significance. They merely learnt it to enhance trade. Moreover the hypocrisy of hindi speakers is absolutely hilarious. They will say “Peeche Mood” and Baayen Mood” in Hindi, but when they march, they say “Left-Right-Left-Right” in English! Hindi-speaking politicians force everybody else to learn hindi while they send their own children to english-medium schools! It is high time hindi speakers realise their folly and start learning the global language. The misconception that a single language can bring Unity is nothing but eyewash. Are we truly disunited in the first place?
Calling people names is just not on. Rebut on facts. And you are DEAD WRONG. Read Dharampal’s A Beautiful Tree before you come up your doozy theories. One more moronic comment like this and you will be blocked.
Its funny to see you jumping to defend a MORON like Subramanian Swamy. I have given numerous facts above which have probably escaped your illiterate mind….or are you blind ?? You just aren’t well read to decipher any theory whatsoever. Before you start advising people on name calling, perhaps you should follow your own advice in the first place. Moreover, Swamy himself uses such words on his Twitter account. Now what do you have to say to that, MORON ??
Vignesh looks like you seem to be supporting the cause of the failed corrupt dynasty party called DMK
The same DMK leaders send their children to CBSE schools & learn Hindi it is only the common man in TN who is prevented from learning Hindi your views are totally biased & your name calling of Mr Subramanian Swamy is in bad taste & shows your frustration about the article which speaks the truth of course your myopic ideas will find it hard to accept truth which is bitter for you
Stalin of DMK in an election campaign said if elected to power he would make Urdu compulsory in Tamil Nadu. Such is the passion of Dravidians for Tamil!
Dr. Subramanian Swamy is the government at the centre should implement article 351 of the Indian constitution.
This article clearly states that Union of India has to promote Hindi but it has to get the vocabulary from Sanskrit. All languages have some percentage of Sanskrit words in their dictionary, say Tamil has 40% and many more. The Devanagári script needs to be given importance for implementation of this article.
RSS Sarsanghchalaks Guru Golwakar said that all languages spoken in the country are national languages, he said in an interview to Organiser during anti – Hindi agitation in late 1960s.
English needs to be removed from Eighth Schedule.
Education for everyone should be in mother tongue is compulsory need of hour till middle school. First language should be mother tongue, second language should be Hindi having vocabulary from Sanskrit and third language should be English.
All foreign languages be it German, French Japanese, Korean, Arabic Persian and Turkish, it shall be optional for student who wants to learn, need to be taught in secondary and senior secondary school.
I feel pity for the children of TN who have been deprived by quality education of Navodaya schools.