The language war in Tamil Nadu has escalated further with Governor R Ravi and the ruling DMK locked in a verbal spat. Earlier, Chief Minister MK Stalin and his son Udhayanidhi Stalin were locked in a heated debate with Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and other BJP leaders. Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi on Friday said the ‘rigid’ two language policy of the state government has deprived youth in the southern parts of opportunities, turning it into a ‘neglected backyard’. Governor Ravi said that it is ‘unfair’. However, the ruling DMK accused the governor of ‘spewing hatred’ against Tamil Nadu.
The ruling DMK has been alleging Hindi imposition by the Centre through the 3-language formula as part of the NEP, a charge denied by the union government. The Governor, who is touring the southern Tuticorin and Tirunelveli districts, took to ‘X’ to inform about an interaction he had with representatives from various fields.
“Interacted with a large number of leaders from cross sections of south Tamil Nadu including education, business, health, hospitality, youth startups, women entrepreneurs, MSME sectors. Also students from several institutions. It was encouraging to see their positive energy and enterprise transforming lives for the better despite numerous difficulties and systemic obstacles. This region is rich in human and natural resources and yet it feels like a neglected backyard. Despite huge potential for industrialisation people here feel neglected of opportunities,” said the Raj Bhawan handle on X quoting the governor.
It further said, “The Problems of substance/ drug abuse among youth is serious. There is a huge demand for implementation of the NEP 2020. The youth of this region feel hugely deprived of opportunities compared to those from neighboring states due to the rigid two-language policy of the State Government. They feel that Unfortunately in the name of opposition to Hindi, they are not allowed to study even any other South Indian languages. This is indeed unfair. Our youth must have a choice to study language.”
However, Tamil Nadu Law Minister S Regupathy asked Ravi to ‘not impart lessons to Tamils about their language affinity’. The Governor was “repeatedly spewing hatred against Tamil, Tamil Nadu and Tamil Thaai Vazhthu (the state anthem),” he said.
“Unable to stand the strides made by Tamil Nadu in economy and education, Governor Ravi has been spewing hatred against the state,” the senior DMK leader charged in a party statement. He asked if Ravi could specify in which sector south Tamil Nadu lagging behind and claimed TN has made ‘incomparable’ strides in education, medicine and economy, against other Indian states. This was evident from the data released by the Central government, Regupathy added.
“These achievements were possible due to Tamil Nadu’s two-language policy. Aren’t the Tamils aware of the plans of hegemonic people to impose Hindi through the National Education Policy (NEP),” he asked. Hitting out at Ravi for his remark that one must have a choice to study language, Reghupathy said, ‘We are aware what is a choice and what is imposition.”