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Dravidian Model: Cry Foul About Imaginary Hindi Imposition, Embrace Urdu Imposition

The Commune
Dravidian Model: Cry Foul About Imaginary Hindi Imposition, Embrace Urdu Imposition

The entire Dravidian ecosystem seems to have come together once again to reignite the long-debated issue of “Hindi imposition” by alleging that Tamil Nadu’s Governor, RN Ravi, had omitted the phrase “Dravida Nal Thirunadu” from the official state song, ‘Tamizh Thaai Vazhthu.’ This sparked a heated exchange between Chief Minister MK Stalin and Governor Ravi. They leveraged this oversight to fuel a controversy surrounding allegations of Hindi imposition in the Tamil-speaking state and wrote a letter to the prime minister.

Background

The controversy erupted during the Hindi Month valedictory function at Doordarshan Kendra in Chennai, where the singers mistakenly omitted the line “Thekkanamum adhil sirantha Dravida nal thiru naadum,” which translates to “the great Dravidian nation in the Deccan,” from the state anthem.

Chief Minister MK Stalin swiftly condemned this omission and wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He argued that celebrating Hindi Month in non-Hindi speaking states is perceived as diminishing other languages and suggested that such events should be discontinued. Instead, he advocated for the promotion of local language months in their respective states.

Cheif Minister MK Stalin via his official X account stated, “I strongly condemn the celebration of Hindi Month valedictory function along with the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Chennai Doordarshan. Hon’ble @PMOIndia, The Constitution of India does not grant national language status to any language. In a multilingual nation, celebrating Hindi Month in non-Hindi speaking states is seen as an attempt to belittle other languages.”

He recommended that, “Therefore, I suggest that holding such Hindi-oriented events in non-Hindi speaking states could be avoided, and instead, the celebration of the local language month in the respective states should be encouraged.”

However, Stalin’s criticisms extended beyond the celebration of Hindi month valedictory; he also accused Governor RN Ravi of removing the term “Dravidian” from the anthem under the pretext of celebrating Hindi.

Describing the governor as having a “Dravidian allergy,” Stalin called for his recall, claiming he had “deliberately insulted” the people of Tamil Nadu.

Chief Minister MK Stalin stated in another post, “Is he Governor? or Aryan? Removing the word Dravidian and reciting Tamil Thai anthem is against the law of Tamil Nadu! A person who acts according to his will and not act according to the law is not fit to hold that office. In the guise of celebrating Hindi, the governor is insulting the unity of the country and the people of different races living in this land!”

“Will the governor, who suffers from Dravidian allergy, leave out Dravidian in the national anthem? The Union Government should immediately recall the Governor who is deliberately insulting Tamil Nadu and the sentiments of the people of Tamil Nadu!” He further added.

Governor Ravi’s Reaction To CM Stalin’s Remarks

This accusation did not sit well with Governor Ravi, who retorted that Stalin’s comments were “unfortunately cheap” and argued that such accusations “lower the dignity” of the constitutional office of the Chief Minister. He stated that there are forces, both domestically and internationally, that seek to obstruct the country’s progress.

Governor RN Ravi stated, “Hon’ble Chief Minister Thiru. @mkstalin has issued a regrettable tweet this evening in which he made a racist remark against me and levelled false allegation of showing disrespect to Tamizh Thaai Vaazhthu. He knows it well that I recite full Tamizh Thaai Vaazhthu at every function and do so with reverence, pride and precision. He also knows that under leadership Hon’ble Prime Minister Thiru. @narendramodi the Central govt has proudly created several institutions for spread of Tamil language and heritage within India including Tamil Nadu and several countries of the world. #PMModi took Tamil even to the United Nations.”

Emphasizing his own efforts Ravi stated, “As a proud Indian I myself have taken numerous substantive initiatives to spread Tamil, the oldest and richest living language, in other states of the country, the latest being to set up, with cooperation of the Assam govt, a Tamil diploma course in Gauhati University for spread of Tamil in the North East.”

In a final blow to the DMK’s agenda, Ravi stated, “Making racist remark and alleging incorrect imputations against governor by the chief minister is unfortunately cheap and lowers the dignity of the high constitutional office of the chief minister. Since he rushed to public with his racist remarks and false imputations I am constrained to respond.” – Governor Ravi.”

Hypocrisy Of Dravidian Model Governance

Do you think the DMK government genuinely cares about the Tamil language, or is it merely a political maneuver?

Let’s uncover the truth behind the Dravidian model. When the DMK suddenly cries out against Hindi imposition, we should note that the central government promotes the language internationally through World Hindi Diwas on 10 January and nationally on 14 September, regardless of which party is in power. Does the state government have a Tamil Day to promote its language?

Did the DMK voice concerns when it was part of the UPA from 2004 to 2014? During that time, the same Hindi imposition occurred under DMK’s rule alongside Congress. What was Stalin doing then?

When Chief Minister MK Stalin suddenly bats, “The Constitution of India does not grant national language status to any language. In a multilingual nation, celebrating Hindi Month in non-Hindi speaking states is seen as an attempt to belittle other languages,” he overlooks that the same Constitution, under Article 351, directs the central government to promote Hindi. Does he not understand his constitutional responsibilities?

The height of hypocrisy is evident when Tamil Nadu CM Stalin writes to the Prime Minister requesting not to impose Hindi, while his education minister promotes his proficiency in Urdu, a language closely related to Hindi, in state-run government schools.

Yes, on 10 October 2024, DMK Minister Anbil Mahesh Poiyamozhi conducted a surprise inspection at the government-aided Mazharul Uloom Urdu Higher Secondary School in the Ambur constituency. He participated in an Urdu language class to observe the teaching and learning process. To the delight of the Urdu students, he wrote his name, “Anbil,” in Urdu and asked them to read it aloud. The Urdu teacher then wrote the minister’s full name in Urdu, expressing gratitude and congratulations to him.

Not just that, the Dravidian model, which emphasizes “Tamil,” insists that everyone to prove their proficiency in the language, yet it shows a leniency toward Urdu-speaking Muslims who are exempt from taking the Tamil exam in the state. This raises concerns about their heightened ignorance.

Furthermore, if Hindi and Sanskrit are considered enemies of Tamil, then promoting them can be seen as an imposition. In that case, what does that make Urdu, which has vocabulary rooted in languages like Sanskrit and Prakrit and shares origins with Hindi? Urdu is often referred to as a ‘sister’ language due to its similar grammatical structures. Now, the question on everyone’s mind is, how will the Dravidian leaders justify this contradiction?

Does the DMK thinks that only Muslims in the state should have the right to use and practice Hindi, given its close ties to Urdu, while others are excluded?

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