Uprising in Maharashtra should open eyes: Stalin

Chennai: Chief minister M K Stalin on Saturday said DMK and Tamil Nadu's long-standing language rights movement against Hindi imposition has now expanded beyond state borders, sparking waves of protest in Maharashtra. He warned the BJP of repercussions for its policies towards Tamil language and culture.

Addressing Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray as his brother, Stalin said in a post on X that "the spirited victory rally held in Mumbai (on Saturday) under Thackeray's leadership and the resounding speeches against Hindi imposition" were encouraging. "The BJP, which illegally and arbitrarily insists that Hindi be taught as a third language in Tamil Nadu schools as a precondition to funding, was compelled to retreat for a second time in Maharashtra, fearing public backlash in a state under its governance," Stalin said.

Stalin criticized those who support the idea that "learning Hindi will guarantee jobs". He urged them to reconsider their stance, taking into account the history of Indian languages affected by Hindi dominance and the alleged plan to homogenise India into a "Hindi nation". He said, "The uprising in Maharashtra should open their eyes."

He highlighted questions raised by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray at the same rally regarding the imposition of Hindi on non-Hindi speaking states. "What is the third language taught in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan? Why is Hindi being forced upon the progressive non-Hindi speaking states, when Hindi-speaking states themselves lag behind," Stalin quoted Raj Thackeray. He said a Union govt that prioritises development of Hindi and Sanskrit had no answers to these questions.

Stalin affirmed that DMK govt would resist "financial discrimination" against Tamil Nadu and the refusal to acknowledge the Keeladi civilisation. He cautioned the BJP to address its actions against Tamil Nadu and its culture.

"The BJP must find a remedy for the betrayal that the party is committing against Tamil Nadu and its culture. If not, the people of Tamil Nadu will teach the BJP and its new allies a lesson they will not forget," he said.