CHENNAI: Siva Dileepan, a member of the May 17 Movement, who sustained grievous injuries after jumping in front of a train in protest against Hindi imposition at Chennai Park railway station on March 11, succumbed to the injuries at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital on Wednesday.
He was part of a group of May 17 members who carried out a protest by trying to erase names written in Hindi at Chrompet, Nungambakkam and Chennai Park stations last week. Cases were filed against them by both the Railway Protection Force and the Government Railway Police of Tamil Nadu for the protests.
DMK president and Chief Minister MK Stalin, who had visited him at the hospital to enquire his health, expressed condolences to Dileepan’s wife, his two daughters and those from May 17 movement.
He also stressed no one should sacrifice their lives. Hindi imposition can be defeated through intelligence, resolve, and love for Tamil when technology has made more avenues available for protesting in peaceful, impactful and novel ways. “We have lost enough lives in the language war! Not a single life should be lost anymore!,” he added.