CHENNAI: Hours after the DMK and its allied parties’ cadre plunged into an anti-Hindi agitation of sorts -- by defacing Hindi signboards in railway stations and protesting in front of Central government establishments -- party chief MK Stalin called off the protest. His announcement came after a meeting with Governor Banwarilal Purohit at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah clarified that he only justified the use of Hindi as a second language. Addressing the media from his party headquarters Anna Arivalayam, Stalin claimed the decision to drop the protest was taken based on request made by the Governor.
“We met the Governor upon his invitation, and elaborated the reason for our protest,” said Stalin speaking to the media. “The Governor assured that the Union government would not impose Hindi. He added that Amit Shah had clarified his statement. Following this, we assured him that the DMK would not stage the proposed protest.”
Stalin, however, cautioned that the DMK would take up “severe agitations” if the Centre attempted to impose Hindi on rest of the country at any point. The DMK was planning to hold a mega agitation on September 20 against the imposition of Hindi, across the State. In Puducherry, too, protestors held demonstrations against BJP’s alleged “one nation, one language, one religion” policy.
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, DMK cadre deface Hindi signboards installed at the Gudiyattam railway station in Vellore. DMK IT wing cadre held black flags and walked on the platform, while shouting slogans against Hindi imposition. Later, the protestors were rounded up and whisked away by the police. “About 24 party men were detained for the protest,” a police official said.
DMK legislator R Siva recalled the anti-Hindi agitation spearheaded by his party patriarch M Karunanidhi and resolved to organize district-level agitations against Centre’s plans. Reacting to Amit Shah’s statement that Hindi can unify the country, Siva said it only showed his ‘authoritarian attitude’.