CHENNAI: Cautioning the BJP-led government against the consequences of imposing Hindi, MDMK general secretary Vaiko on Sunday urged the Union Home Ministry to withdraw all directives in this regard.
“After the formation of the new government, it appears as if the Centre has intensified its Hindi imposition measures,” the NDA ally said in a statement here.
Citing the directives asking Central government employees to use Hindi while posting tweets or messages on social media, observance of Teachers’ Day as Guru Utsav and Sanskrit Week celebration, Vaiko said they were an indication of the government’s approach to the language policy. Besides, the department of official language under the Union home ministry had issued circulars that all universities must have Hindi, alongside with English, as the first language and that law and commerce subjects must be taught in that language. Also, the ministry had made it compulsory for employees of public sector undertakings to learn Hindi and directed that circulars must be made in that language and that all efforts must be made to make it the official language in all departments.
Pointing out that the anti-Hindi agitation in the State was 75 years old, the MDMK urged the Union home ministry to withdraw the Hindi-imposition directives immediately. “Only if equal rights and opportunities are extended to all communities, unity in diversity and national integration will continue to prevail.”