'Give up' attempts to make Hindi mandatory, uphold unity of India: Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin urges PM Modi

"Imposing Hindi is against the integrity of India," Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin said.

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday launched a tirade against the Centre over the language issue and warned the BJP-led government not to force another language war by imposing Hindi. He appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to give up attempts to make Hindi mandatory and uphold the unity of India instead. Strongly reacting to the report submitted by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, heading the Parliamentary Committee on Official Language, to President Droupadi Murmu, recently, Stalin said if implemented, the vast non-Hindi speaking population will be made second-class citizens in their own land.

"Imposing Hindi is against the integrity of India. The BJP government would do well to learn lessons from the anti-Hindi agitations in the past," he said apparently referring to the agitations in Tamil Nadu that fueled Tamil pride.

"The rigorous thrust by Union BJP government for #HindiImposition, negating the diversity of India is happening at an alarming pace. The proposals made in the 11th volume of the report of the Parliamentary Committee on Official Language are a direct onslaught on India's soul," Stalin tweeted.

The Centre's stance on enforcing One nation, One language, One religion, One food and One culture would affect India's unity.

"The report presented to the President by the Parliamentary Committee on Official Language chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah contains recommendations that endanger the integrity of Indian Union," Stalin said in a statement here.

As per media reports, the committee has recommended English to be replaced with Hindi as the medium of instruction in all Central universities like IITs, IIMs, AIIMS, Central universities and Kendriya Vidyalayas.

He pointed out that the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution has 22 languages, including Tamil, entitled for equal rights. But, the panel has recommended Hindi as the common language across India, he said.

"In such a scenario, where does the need arise for the Union Minister-led committee to recommend Hindi be made the Common language of India," the Chief Minister asked.

Wondering why English language question papers in the union recruitment examinations should give preference for Hindi, he claimed it was against the spirit of the Constitution to provide an undue, unfair advantage to Hindi and discriminate against other Indian languages "while raising "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" as a political slogan in the Parliament.

Accusing the BJP-led government at the Centre of "continuously attempting to impose Hindi with utter disregard to the Constitution" Stalin said to mandate a common language which is practically impossible is akin to stating that the only Hindi speakers are the rightful citizens of India and speakers of other languages are second-class citizens.

"This is divisive in nature," the Chief Minister stated.

If implemented, the vast non-Hindi speaking population will be made second-class citizens in their own land.

Imposing Hindi is against the integrity of India.

The BJP govt would do well to learn lessons from the Anti-Hindi agitations in the past.#StopHindiImposition 2/2 pic.twitter.com/0R1IuvtzEx

— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) October 10, 2022

He argued that India's character is unity in diversity and hence all languages "must be treated equally and Centre should strive to make all languages" as official languages.

"I warn to not take a stance which is against the principle stated above. Do not force another language war by imposing Hindi," he said.