Condemning what it termed the Union government’s move to impose Hindi in non-Hindi speaking States by making it the national language, the DMK staged a demonstration in front of Tirunelveli railway junction on Saturday.
The protest was led by Palayamkottai MLA and DMK’s Tirunelveli central district secretary M. Abdul Wahab. Hundreds of cadre participated in the demonstration holding anti-Hindi placards and raising slogans.
Addressing the agitators, the speakers said that after Narendra Modi-led BJP government assumed office in 2014, imposition of Hindi and making it the ‘official language’ were being forced upon the people by the Union government. While ignoring all other Indian languages, questions in the national-level competitive examinations were being set only in English and Hindi to give “undue advantage” to the students from Hindi-speaking States.
“Despite stiff opposition from Chief Ministers of non-Hindi speaking States, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is vigorously pushing forward his agenda of making Hindi the common language in line with the RSS policy of ‘one nation, one culture, one food,’ etc. This will result in serious consequences,” the speakers said.
Mayor P.M. Saravanan, Deputy Mayor K.R. Raju and party office-bearers participated in the protest.
In other places
In the demonstration staged at Valliyoor, Tirunelveli MP S. Gnanathiraviam and party office-bearers participated.
In Thoothukudi, the DMK cadres staged a demonstration at Chidambara Nagar bus stop in which Mayor P. Jegan Periyasamy and Vilathikulam MLA G.V. Markandeyan participated. On behalf of the Thoothukudi south district, a demonstration was staged in Pudukottai in which Ottapidaram MLA M.C. Shanmugaiah participated.
In Tenkasi district, demonstrations were organised near Tenkasi new bus stand and Sankarankoil.
In the demonstration staged in front of Nagercoil Head Post Office, Mayor and Kanniyakumari East district secretary Mahesh participated.
