What have you done to Tamil, Kishan asks Stalin

Hyderabad: Union Minister for Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy dared Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin to spell out what his government had done to promote Tamil in the last five years.

Addressing the media on Sunday, he said that for the past two months, the DMK party and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin have engaged in a divisive debate, criticising the central government for allegedly plotting injustices against South India.

Terming the DMK’s actions politically motivated, he said the positions taken by the DMK and Congress on issues related to the National Education Policy and the delimitation of parliamentary constituencies indicate their political bankruptcy.

“With elections scheduled in Tamil Nadu within the next six months, the DMK is on track to lose. There is significant public dissatisfaction regarding corruption, exploitation, and dictatorial tendencies associated with the DMK regime and the Stalin family. Besides, the DMK government is neck-deep in an alleged liquor scam. To divert attention from these issues, they resort to political theatrics fearing growing public discontent. The DMK is attempting to incite public anger by accusing Prime Minister Modi, the central government, Hindi language, and the issue of parliamentary constituency delimitation. Many DMK leaders are implicated in a liquor scam, and this diversion distracts from the embezzlement of crores of rupees from public funds,” he alleged.

He noted that the National Education Policy was not a recent introduction; it was initially established by a DMK-allied government during the Congress regime in 1986 and faced no opposition. The Narendra Modi government has worked to promote local languages in non-Hindi regions. The concept of a three-language policy originated during British rule and was not newly introduced by Modi; it reflects ideas from C Rajagopalachari. Additionally, the Kothari Committee strengthened the three-language theory during the Congress regime. The DMK leadership is aware of this historical context. Since becoming Prime Minister, Modi has not forced Hindi on any state. As elections approach, the Congress and DMK parties engage in false propaganda. Chief Minister Stalin is creating a significant fuss ahead of the upcoming elections. The DMK government has altered the rupee design logo, which was created by DMK MLA’s son, Uday Kumar. This change illustrates the desperation of the politics played by Congress and its allies. The rupee logo was introduced when Manmohan Singh was Prime Minister, 15 years ago, and has now been modified, said the Union Minister.

“The public is beginning to understand the positions of Rahul Gandhi and Congress. The rupee logo was adopted in 2010, while the current education policy was implemented in 2020. Will the currency designed by the Reserve Bank be accepted in Tamil Nadu? This is a question Rahul Gandhi should answer. People are free to speak and learn the language of their choice; Hindi has never been imposed on anyone. The education system since 1968 has included a three-language policy. In the new education policy introduced by Modi in 2020, there is no compulsion to learn a specific language. It is detrimental to the country for the Congress and DMK parties to provoke unrest for electoral gain. When the DMK faces difficulties and Congress is defeated, they raise unnecessary discussions. Regardless of what Revanth Reddy, Stalin, or Rahul Gandhi say, the public should know the facts,” he added.

Indira Gandhi brought education under the concurrent list during the emergency through the 42nd Amendment to the Constitution. The three-language policy has already been implemented in states governed by the Congress party. Does the Congress party oppose the existence of the Hindi language in the country? In the last ten years, the Narendra Modi government has taken numerous steps to promote the Tamil language.

What has Stalin accomplished to advance the Tamil language in the past four and a half years? The Modi government has declared the birth anniversary of the renowned poet Subramanya Bharathi as National Language Day. The most ancient cultural tradition related to Tamils is ‘Sengol’, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi honoured in the presence of the Speaker in the new Parliament building, celebrating the significance of Tamil. The DMK does not need to deliver lessons to us,” affirmed Kishan Reddy.