No Need To Learn Hindi To Prove We're Indians: Tamil Nadu BJP Chief
NDTV
Home Minister Amit Shah has stated that Hindi could be an alternative to English and that Hindi could be the official language in the country.
Tamil Nadu BJP leaders said that there is no compulsion to learn Hindi to prove one is an Indian and said the ancient Tamil language could qualify to become the national link language.
Tweaking the Tamil pride in the Dravidian heartland where the ruling DMK and opposition AIADMK are on the same page in opposing Hindi or Sanskrit, an act viewed by those parties as imposing the language on the Tamils, the BJP state chief K Annamalai said his party would neither accept nor allow thrusting Hindi on the people of Tamil Nadu.
"There's no compelling situation to learn a language and prove that one is an Indian. One can learn Hindi or any language when it concerns employment or livelihood issues," Mr Annamalai said and claimed that even Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected everyone to learn in their regional languages.
"There is no need to hate any language but replacing Tamil with Hindi or any language is unacceptable," claimed former Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan. Speaking to PTI on Wednesday, he said the Prime Minister himself had acknowledged (in February 2018) that Tamil is the oldest language and is older than Sanskrit and is beautiful. "In fact, the Prime Minister advised the non-Tamil students to learn Tamil," Mr Radhakrishnan said.
