Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has strongly opposed what he called as the imposition of Hindi, invoking the spirit of the 1967 Tamil language protests to rally support against what he views as linguistic dominance. Taking to social media platform X, Stalin shared an image of former Chief Minister CN Annadurai, remembering Tamil Nadu’s historic Anti-Hindi Movement of 1967 and appealing to people to stand against similar challenges today.
👉🏾 "When you are accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression." I am reminded of this famous quote when some entitled bigots brand us chauvinists and anti-nationals for the 'crime' of demanding Tamil’s rightful place in Tamil Nadu.
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) March 6, 2025
👉🏾 The very people who glorify… pic.twitter.com/MOzmUSEyia
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) Tamil Nadu’s history of resistance
In his post, Stalin referred to how Tamil Nadu successfully opposed Hindi imposition in 1967, stating, ‘’1967: Anna sat down; Tamil Nadu rose! If any harm comes to the proud Tamil Nadu, let us roar like wildfire! Let us celebrate the victory!’’ His statement drew a comparison between the struggles in the past and present-day policies, encouraging people to oppose what he considered as continued efforts to undermine Tamil’s rightful place.
Reiterating his stance, Stalin mentioned, ‘’When you are accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression,’’ targeting those who are favouring linguistic hegemony. He further stated, ‘’Some entitled bigots call us chauvinists and anti-nationals for the ‘crime’ of demanding Tamil’s rightful place in Tamil Nadu. ‘’ His comment was directed towards the criticism directed at this party, DMK for its opposition to Hindi imposition.
Stalin also criticised those who promote Nathuram Godse’s ideology, remarking, ‘’The very people who glorify Godse’s ideology have the audacity to question the patriotism of DMK and its government.’’ He highlighted Tamil Nadu’s contribution to national security, citing its contribution in the Chinese aggression, the Bangladesh Liberation War and the Kargil War. He also reminded the critics that their ideological forefather assassinated Mahatma Gandhi.
Further he condemned the naming of India’s new criminal laws particularly in Hindi, Stalin stated, Tamils cannot even pronounce or understand. He blamed the Centre for treating Tamil Nadu as second-class citizens, despite the state being a significant contributor to India’s economy.
Stalin warned that imposing a single-language creates division, stating, ‘’The imposition of any language breeds division and enmity, threatening national unity.’’ He further remarked, ‘’The true chauvinists and anti-nationals are the Hindi zealots who thinks their entitlement is natural, but our resistance is treason.’’
His statement comes amid ongoing tensions over the three-language policy and the upcoming delimitation exercise.
(With inputs from ANI)