Hindi will erase Tamil like it did north Indian languages: Udhayanidhi Stalin warns of language war (WATCH)

Hindi will destroy Tamil like it did many north Indian languages, deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin said on Tuesday. The INDIA bloc parties came together to protest against BJP govt at the Centre for "repeatedly encroaching upon state's rights" on various issues such as denying allocation of funds in Union Budget and for not releasing educational funds for Tamil Nadu.

At the protest, Udhayanidhi said, "Hindi destroyed the local languages of states in the north such as Rajasthani, Haryanvi, Bhojpuri, and other Bihari languages and has become the primary local language. The same will happen if Hindi is implemented in Tamil Nadu too. Almost 99% of Tamils who are now working abroad and in prestigious organisations such as Isro were from govt schools who did not study Hindi."

Udhayanidhi said in the last 100 years, major protests in Tamil Nadu were for two reasons, one for education and the other for Hindi imposition.

"Martyrs such as Thalamuthu, Natarajan, and Keezhapalur Chinnasamy lost their lives not for politics, but for Tamil. Thousands are ready to lose lives for our language," he said.

Also read: Gyanesh Kumar takes charge as Chief Election Commissioner, says 'voting first step for nation building' |WATCH

Udhayanidhi Stalin warns of language war

A large number of cadres from the DMK and alliance parties participated in the protest, holding placards that called for the Central Government to release funds to Tamil Nadu and to refrain from imposing a trilingual language policy in the state.

Tamil Nadu ministers, including Anbil Mahesh Poiyamozhi, Sekar Babu, and Ma. Subramanian, as well as DMK MLAs and MPs such as Tamilachi Thangapandian and Kanimozhi Somu, also joined the protest.

While speaking in the protest, Dy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin said, "To save the Education and Language of our state, I have come here to protest against the Union Government; I have not come to participate in this protest as a DyCM. I have come here to participate in a DMK youth wing cadre. In the union budget 2025, the funds that must be shared with all states were majorly given to Uttra Pradesh and Gujarat states, and Tamilnadu was neglected completely."

He added, "Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that we only provide funds if TN accepts the Trilingual Language policy."

Udhayanidhi said, "We didn't ask for our father's money; we have asked only for our Tax money and our rights. We are asking for our fund rights. Mainly, this is a Dravidian land, this is a Periyar land, Tamilnadu is a self-respected land, and do u think you(BJP) can threaten us? It will never happen in Tamil Nadu. Last time, when you attempted to take away the rights of the Tamil people, they started a "Go back Modi" campaign, and now, if you try it again with the Tamil Nadu people, this time the voice will be 'Get out Modi' that agitation will be done to send you(PM) back."

Udhayanidhi Stalin made it clear that the people of Tamil Nadu would never accept the Trilingual language policy. He also highlighted that Tamil Nadu has a long history of protesting against the imposition of Hindi and for education.

"The two-language policy has allowed Tamils to excel globally. For Tamils, language and identity are more important than politics. NEP and the imposition of Hindi upon Tamil Nadu are concerned about the future of the children and the Tamils, and it is not confined to the DMK alone," he said.

He also questioned why the AIADMK is remaining silent on this issue.

"AIADMK must firmly oppose the NEP, and we(AIADMK) have to protest jointly against it. Even I appeal here to AIADMK to join us, take this issue to the streets, and protest. The party (AIADMK) bearing the name of Anna (former Chief Minister C N Annadurai) and Dravida should not remain silent on this issue," he said.

"If they want to impose Hindi again, I am saying now, not hundreds more than thousands of Tamils will sacrifice their lives for Tamil language. I urge the Union Government not to do politics in the children's education or their future, and I urge you to release the funds immediately," he said. 

Also read: Donald Trump signs executive order to expand access to IVF: 'Promises made, promises kept'