NAGERCOIL: The elections are here and consequently, Tamil has new patrons. A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed regret for not finding time to learn the world’s oldest language, the Gandhi scion has proclaimed that it’s his duty to protect the language, and the history and culture of its speakers. Addressing voters in the Southern tip of the State, a longtime Congress stronghold, Rahul Gandhi accused the Centre of not respecting Tamil language and culture.
“The Prime Minister wanted to control Tamil Nadu,” he said. “We must not allow the RSS to insult Tamil. It’s my duty to protect all religions, cultures, and identities, and as a result, it is my duty to protect the Tamil culture.” He then recalled memories of late Congress leader and entrepreneur Vasantha Kumar. “We lost a great personality. Vasantha Kumar followed the values of our party, and served the poor, downtrodden, students and widows. Even during the pandemic, he fed those suffering without food.”
Days after Congress icon in Tamil Nadu, former Chief Minsiter K Kamaraj’s cut-out appeared at BJP rallies, Rahul spoke highly of the late leader and recalled his contributions to Tamil Nadu’s development.
“The noon-meal scheme is a model that Tamil Nadu set for India. The scheme was the vision and leadership of Kamaraj,” he said. He later met with students of Carmel Matha School at Agastheeswaram. During his trip, he stopped his car near Mantharamputhur to have Palm fruit (Nungu) from a roadside vendor.
The meeting with students was in stark contrast with other political rallies. Rahul accepted a push-up challenge, a video of which went viral later in the day. He also danced with students and party leaders including KS Alagiri and Dinesh Gundu Rao. “I came here to know the dreams and aspirations of the students so that I could work and make them possible. Every student has a different dream, and dreams of one student should not be applied to the other,” he said.
Strong pitch
Rahul Gandhi accused the Centre of not respecting Tamil language and culture. “The Prime Minister wanted to control Tamil Nadu,” he said. “We must not allow the RSS to insult Tamil. It’s my duty to protect all religions, cultures, and identities, and as a result, it is my duty to protect the Tamil culture.” Recalling memories of late Congress leader and entrepreneur Vasantha Kumar, he said, “We lost a great personality. Vasantha Kumar followed the values of our party, and served everybody.”