News Tamil Nadu

“Crazy Man”: DMK Min PTR Loses His Cool, Bullies And Abuses ‘Karunanidhi’ Who Asked Why TN Govt Was Preventing Kids From Learning More Languages

January 13, 2024
The Commune

The “World Tamil Diaspora Day 2024” marked its successful third consecutive year with a two-day event at the Chennai Trade Centre Nandambakkam on January 11-12, 2024, focusing on the theme “Tamil Vellum” conducted by Commissionerate of Rehabilitation and Welfare of Non-Resident Tamils.

Tamil diaspora from approximately 58 countries actively participated in the celebrations and the event was inaugurated by DMK scion Udhayanidhi Stalin, the Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development and soon-to-be crowned Deputy Chief Minister.

The event witnessed the presence of various dignitaries, including ministers, representatives, industrialists, writers, poets and notable figures K Shanmugam, the Minister for Home Affairs and Law Singapore was the chief guest.

The main event of the festival was “Looking for roots”. According to a press release issued by the government, a program will be held where 57 overseas Tamil students from Australia, Canada, Fiji, Sri Lanka and other countries will share their experiences of cultural tourism under the project.

During the event, the Chief Minister MK Stalin also launched the ‘Enathu Gramam’ (My Village) scheme, encouraging the Tamil Diaspora to contribute to the development of their native villages through investments.

While the event commenced on a positive note, it was not without controversies. One notable instance was during the panel discussion titled “Olirum Edhir Kalamum Vaipugalum Savalgalum” (A bright future with opportunities and challenges), featuring Information Technology Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan. Controversy erupted when the panel extended the opportunity for the audience to pose questions. A significant moment of contention arose when a respected elderly individual inquired about the Tamil Nadu government’s language policy and compared the state’s education system with CBSE school system which follows a three language policy.

He started by saying “Bharathiar said bring wealth from everywhere, I’ve studied in Madurai university. From those days to now, Tamilians should go everywhere in the world. Then we should learn all languages… as you said… Instead of complaining ‘they’re imposing Hindi, they’re imposing Sanskrit’, like a carrot policy we should teach tamilians all languages. Like German, Japanese, in Japan the birth rate is dwindling, even Spanish. So, number of languages. You are finding fault with Centre. I agree with you. Why can’t you implement CBSE syllabus and ask our students to learn many many languages the entire hall will become people bigger than finance minister am I correct?”

This is how DMK Minister who was earlier the Finance Minister and was made the IT Minister after his scandalous audio leak controversy.

PTR said “I don’t understand, what is your question?” 

The old man replied “What prevents you from enticing our students to learn many other languages?” 

PTR asked “Who prevents right now?” 

The old man replied “Its our government”

PTR said “No no listen” 

The old man asserted strongly “I’m listening to you”

In a strong tone PTR said “No no no listen. CBSE syllabus is implemented by the Central Board. The government of Tamil Nadu irrespective of party in power has an educational system that implements its own board. There is no way in any country… What country do you live in wait wait … What country do you live in?”

The old man replied “I live in the world and I am a global citizen” 

When the atmosphere soured, the microphone was abruptly taken away from the individual who posed the question. The man raised his voice, asserting that this was undemocratic as he was not afforded the complete opportunity to express himself.

While expressing his distress “I’m a Dravidian, my name is also Karunanidhi.. what you are doing is undemocratic” he shouted.

PTR later goes on to get personal on the man saying “I’ll answer the question for him because he’s too ashamed to answer. He lives in Chicago. He lives in Chicago, in the state of Illinois, in the country of United States. In the state of Chicago, in the city of Chicago, the school education syllabus is set by the school board of the city of Chicago. Ask him why does he live in a place where the city sets the school board. Then he is coming and telling us we’ve to listen to CBSE education. Why do you live in a country where your city sets the school syllabus?”

Eventually, when the microphone was passed to the next person, PTR signaled that man as a lunatic with his fingers in head, implying he was behaving irrationally. After a while, PTR referred to him as a “crazy man”.

Finally he said “In the state of Tamilnadu anybody can learn any language they want. Nobody is telling anybody not to learn any language. I studied in Tamil Nadu board. I learnt French along with Tamil. My children are studying in Chennai and have learnt Spanish and French“.

“Unlike this crazy man here, nobody is stopping anyone from learning any language.“, DMK Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan said.

Netizens seized the opportunity to criticize PTR for his son and daughter being enrolled in an international syllabus, highlighting his apparent inability to handle criticism over the standards of Tamil Nadu education policy.

Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai lashed out at the arrogance exhibited by DMK Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan.

In an X post, Annamalai wrote “Instead of answering, he was bullied by the DMK Minister & was pushed out of the hall for exposing the flawed policies of the TN Government that have deprived children studying in govt schools of learning a third language.”

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