Language politics ignites debate in Parliament
NEW DELHI: A fiery debate erupted in the Rajya Sabha on language policies, with Union Home minister Amit Shah accusing the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu of indulging in linguistic politics to deflect attention from failures of governance and corruption.
The debate occurred in the backdrop of continuing tension between the Centre and the government of Tamil Nadu over the alleged imposition of Hindi in the state.
Shah has justified the government’s position regarding the promotion of Hindi, claiming that it is not to replace regional languages but to supplement them. “Each language in India is akin to a gem. Political parties are misleading people by saying that they want to impose Hindi when they have not been able to promote their regional languages. They should concentrate on development, not fuelling linguistic differences,” he said.
Opposing Shah’s allegations, MDMK leader Vaiko said that Tamil Nadu was being disproportionately targeted by the Central government.
He alleged that the Home Ministry was depriving the state of disaster relief funds because Tamil Nadu was resisting Hindi and RSS-supported policies. He also reminisced anti-Hindi agitations and asserted that Tamil should be made an official language of India.
AIADMK leader M. Thambidurai seconded the same view, adding that Tamil had long been making a demand for official language status, which was espoused by the late Jayalalithaa.
The discussion gained momentum as opposition MPs accused the Centre of employing education policies, especially the National Education Policy (NEP), to promote Hindi at the cost of regional languages.
Shah, on his part, questioned the Tamil Nadu government’s interest in linguistic progress, stating that they had not enforced Tamil translations for medical and technical entrance examinations. “You say you believe in Tamil, but you have not guaranteed its application in essential areas. You rather choose foreign languages above Indian ones,” he stated.
The Home minister rejected the charges of bias, asserting that the Centre was resolutely dedicated to protecting and promoting all Indian languages.
