VELLORE: Women’s wing secretary of the DMK and party MP Kanimozhi on Sunday warned the BJP-led Union government not to provoke the State of Tamil Nadu into launching another anti-Hindi agitation.
Addressing a gathering to honour the martyrs of the anti-Hindi protest, in Anna Salai here she said, “Days after the BJP government took charge, an instruction was given to all government officials to use Hindi in all their official communication. This was opposed by DMK and other parties. We are not against any language. People of Tamil Nadu can learn any language but no one should pressurize them to learn a particular language.” She further said that her party doesn’t have any problem with the BJP but cautioned the saffron party that the DMK would not be a mere spectator if the ruling BJP played up its religious and linguistic card.
Quoting history she said, “In 1927, Sarojini Naidu chaired a meeting in Madras to spread Hindi and explained its uses. Rajaji also tried repeatedly to persuade anti-Hindi protesters. But, the Dravidian movement did not relent. Periyar and his associates played a key role in the anti-Hindi protests.”
She added, “Later, the then Central government understood that Tamil Nadu can’t be taken for granted and compromised.”
Paying her respects to the Tamil language martyrs she said, “ This day (January 25), Chinnaswamy in Tiruchy set himself on fire against Hindi and died. We remember and salute the martyr.”