Stalin urges Centre to stop Hindi imposition, says 'Do not force another language war'

A day after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin was unanimously re-elected as the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president for a second consecutive term, the DMK chief urging to "maintain unity", requested the Centre to not force another language war by introducing Hindi.

He also mentioned as India is a country of diversity and we should treat all languages equally. He further accused the BJP of trying to destroy the country's unity. 

In a statement released, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister said, "Indian subcontinent's pride is in the spirit of diversity, people are living as brothers in harmony. But, BJP is trying to destroy and establish the country as one nation, one religion, one food and one culture. This will affect India's unity."

"கட்டாய இந்தியைப் புகுத்தி இன்னொரு மொழிப்போரைத் திணிக்காதீர்!
ஒன்றிய அரசு ஒற்றுமையைக் காத்திட வேண்டும்!"

- மாண்புமிகு தமிழ்நாடு முதலமைச்சர் திரு @mkstalin அவர்களின் அறிக்கை.#StopHindiImposition #DMK #CMMKStalin pic.twitter.com/3ioVxQ4HyH

— DMK (@arivalayam) October 10, 2022

"Committee of Parliament on Official Languages, chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, submitted a report to our President, in which it was recommended that in IIT, IIM and AIIMS and central universities the language of instruction should be Hindi," Stalin said, adding, "Several news reports are also suggesting that the Centre is also planning to replace English in many places."

"It was recommended that in Hindi-speaking states which are category A states, the medium of instruction should be Hindi. With this recommendation, the Centre is working towards making Hindi a common language across India. The committee also recommended that in technical and non-technical institutions and in KV schools, the language of instruction should be Hindi," the statement added. 

"In the Union government competitive exam what is the need of removing English and giving prominence to Hindi?" the DMK chief questioned. "This can be dangerous for the unity of our nation. The total population of other language speakers is greater than Hindi speakers. Each language has its importance, uniqueness and cultural significance. We need to protect the uniqueness of each language from the dominance of Hindi," Stalin added. 

'Treat all languages equally': Stalin 

Elaborating on the divide between the Hindi and regional language speakers, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister said, "On 16 September during 'Hindi Diwas' Union minister Amit Shah said that Hindi is the official language, but the committee headed by him recommended Hindi should be the common language and the language of instruction."

"There's a divide and rule where the Hindi speakers are first-class citizens and non-Hindi speakers are second-class citizens. Not only Tamil Nadu, but other states will also not accept the imposition of Hindi. India which has unity in diversity should treat all languages equally. We should come to the level where all languages are official languages. Do not force another language war on us by imposing Hindi. We urge the Prime Minister and government to stop Hindi imposition and save India's unity," he added.