CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government issued a government order (GO) on April 14, citing earlier orders, to reiterate to the secretaries of all departments, district collectors, and heads of departments to issue all government orders and circulars only in Tamil, except for certain categories that are exempted.
It also reiterated earlier orders to stress that all government employees should sign only in Tamil.
The GO assumes significance since Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at a government function in Rameswaram on April 6, took a veiled jibe at the ruling DMK by saying that although he receives several letters from Tamil Nadu leaders, none bear signatures in Tamil. The PM said if they are truly proud of their language, they should at least sign their names in Tamil.
The GO issued by V Rajaraman, Secretary, Tamil Development and Information Department, said, all notes, memoranda, letters, office orders, and other forms of correspondence from the headquarters of departments to other departments and offices should only be in Tamil.
It said that the replies to letters from the public in Tamil should also be in Tamil. It further said GOs issued in English should be translated into Tamil.
The GO referred to past GOs issued by the department at least since 1963, indicating that the State has time and again issued orders in this regard, although they were not followed strictly in practice.
For instance, a GO issued on December 1, 1971, which is referenced in the present order, pointed out that a GO was issued on March 1,1963, for using Tamil - the official language - by all department headquarters and zonal offices with certain exceptions.
The 1971 GO also recalled another GO issued on December 27, 1969, which stressed the same. It specified the categories for which English would continue to be used, which included letters relating to financial transactions in treasuries, salaries, etc, letters written to the central government, offices in other States and courts, subjects which deal with highly technical issues, orders relating to appeal for legal issues, communication with foreign institutions, embassies, and entities which have their communication only in English.