News Tamil Nadu

“Those Who Studied Hindi Are Rearing Cows At My House, Selling Panipuri”: DMK Minister Peddles Hate Against North Indians

March 18, 2025
The Commune

DMK leaders and ministers in Tamil Nadu have been continuously misrepresenting the difference between individuals who are educated in a language and those who speak it as their mother tongue but  illiterate and engaged in manual labor. Strategically, they continue to push a divisive narrative under the guise of opposing the Hindi language while belittling the hard work of North Indian laborers who migrate across states for their livelihood.

In the latest controversy, Tamil Nadu’s Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Minister, T.M. Anbarasan, made contentious remarks at a DMK event, stating that Hindi speakers in his household are engaged in cattle herding. His comments were seen as disparaging towards migrant laborers who earn their livelihood through hard work and perseverance.

The statement was made during a meeting held under the banner of the I.N.D.I.A. alliance in the Pallavaram Assembly constituency. At the event, Minister Anbarasan strongly criticized the central government’s trilingual policy, arguing that it contradicts Tamil Nadu’s well-established two-language system.

He credited the global success of Tamils to the two-language policy introduced by former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai, claiming that it allowed them to thrive in various professional fields abroad. He further asserted that those proficient in Tamil and English have made significant strides internationally, whereas he generalized that individuals educated in Hindi are often engaged in labor-intensive jobs such as cattle herding, street vending, or masonry.

He said, “Where are the ones who studied Hindi? Where are they? those who studied Hindi are rearing cows at my home. I’m not joking, It’s true. They are selling Panipuri, mason, carpenters. If we study Hindi we also have to go to North India and sell Panipuri.” 

In response to DMK MSME Minister T.M. Anbarasan’s remarks, Tamil Nadu BJP Chief strongly criticized him, accusing DMK leaders of routinely belittling North Indian workers while disregarding Tamil values and culture. He pointed out that Minister Anbarasan, who has only completed schooling up to the 11th grade and has poor proficiency in Tamil, holds a significant position in the state government.

The BJP leader further alleged that the DMK government has negatively influenced the youth by enabling unrestricted liquor sales and easy access to drugs. He condemned the party for disrespecting migrant laborers who have contributed to filling Tamil Nadu’s labor shortage.

Clarifying misconceptions about the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, he stated that unlike previous Congress-led education policies, NEP is not centered around Hindi but aims to promote all Indian languages. It emphasizes mother-tongue-based education, allowing Tamil to be the primary medium of instruction while also providing students in government schools the opportunity to learn a third language or foreign languages at the secondary level. He asserted that the people of Tamil Nadu have recognized the benefits of NEP 2020 and urged the DMK to stop wasting efforts on misleading propaganda and spreading division.

Annamalai via his official X account stated, “DMK Ministers take great joy in belittling our brothers and sisters from Northern India, often forgetting our Tamil values and culture. DMK Minister Thiru Anbarasan avl is an 11th pass, has very poor Tamil proficiency, and is the Minister of MS&ME in TN Govt. Having intoxicated the younger populace of our state with unrestricted liquor sales and easy access to drugs, the DMK should be ashamed for demeaning the people who have filled in the labour deficit of our state. The NEP 2020 is not about Hindi like the previous educational policies released by the Congress party. It is about promoting all Indian languages, with emphasis on the mother tongue (Tamil) as a medium of instruction, and the opportunity for our government school students to learn a third language and foreign languages at the secondary level. The people of TN have realised this, and DMK should stop wasting their energy in spreading their defunct propaganda and spreading hatred.”

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