The language row that has resurfaced in South India is indeed an unfortunate development. It is a common phenomenon that all political parties indulge in and instigate voters' temperament during election time to derive political mileage. Generally political exploitation of voters is taken for granted on issues like regionalism, language and religion. The people of Tamil Nadu are in the forefront of using such issues. Tamil leaders have raked up the language controversy a few months prior to the Legislative Assembly elections, scheduled for next year.

Kamal Haasan has blatantly issued a statement contending that Tamil is the mother of all Dravidian languages and Kannada was born out of it. Chief Minister MK Stalin is bound to use the language controversy generated by Kamal Haasan for

political gains. Kamal’s statement has led to the boycott of screening his film "Thug Life" in Karnataka, which was eventually set right by the courts. The political party floated by Kamal Haasan has flunked miserably, while for political

convenience the DMK party has befriended him and rewarded with a ticket to the Rajya Sabha. One should not forget that DMK engineered anti-Hindi agitation to ride to power in 1967. Quite ironically, now the DMK leaders are maintaining stoic silence on "Thug Life". The language blockade between Tamil and Kannada is a new twist to the already existing Kaveri water dispute and other border issues. People need to be vigilant against those creating controversies that are propped up by political parties. Kamal Haasan, who is responsible for the language controversy, must apologise to Kannadigas and create a friendly atmosphere among different language speaking people in the south.

BH Indu Sekhar, Hyderabad