Chennai: Expressing "distress" on the
absence of English translation of President Pratibha Patil's
address to Parliament, a veteran former MP today advised the
UPA Government not to "invite a serious crisis in the name of
Hindi dominance".
"I am distressed to note that Vice-President Hamid Ansari
read only the first and last paragraphs of the English version
of the President's address," former Lok Sabha MP from Tamil
Nadu Era Sezhiyan said in a statement here.
Members can point out the pros and cons of the policy
statements of the government, made in the President's Address,
only after the Hindi and English versions as given in the
Central Hall become part of the proceedings of both Lok Sabha
and Rajya Sabha and placed in each House.
"More serious has been the failure to read the full text
of the English version after the Hindi speech of the
President," Sezhiyan, also a noted writer, said.
He said the language problem was a "very sensitive and
explosive issue to be re-kindled now and then".
"The government of the day is already facing many
troubles to which it will be unwise to invite one more serious
crisis in the name of Hindi dominance," he said.
-PTI
First Published: Tuesday, February 23, 2010, 19:29