Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin criticized the Hindi Month celebration at Doordarshan Chennai, which sparked political controversy on Friday. Stalin expressed strong discontent with the event and later took aim at Governor RN Ravi after performers at the function missed a reference to ‘Dravida’ in Tamil Nadu’s state anthem.
Stalin’s Condemnation of Hindi Month Event
In a post on X, Stalin voiced his objection to the celebration, stating, “I strongly condemn the celebration of Hindi month valedictory function along with the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Chennai Doordarshan.” He argued that the Indian Constitution does not grant national language status to any language, highlighting that India is a multilingual nation. According to Stalin, celebrating Hindi Month in non-Hindi-speaking states could be seen as an effort to undermine other regional languages.
Stalin further suggested that instead of holding Hindi-oriented events, states should be encouraged to celebrate their local language months. He even wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the avoidance of Hindi language programs in non-Hindi-speaking states, reiterating that Hindi and English are designated only for official purposes, not as a national language.
Missing Dravidian Reference in State Anthem Sparks Outrage
Later in the day, controversy escalated when performers omitted a line from Tamil Nadu’s state anthem, specifically the reference to “Dravida,” which translates to “the great Dravidian nation.” Stalin accused Governor Ravi, who was present at the event, of deliberately disrespecting Tamil Nadu and its people’s sentiments. He called the omission a “deliberate insult” and demanded that the central government immediately “recall” the governor.
Stalin further criticized the omission, asking, “Will the governor, suffering from Dravidian allergy, ask the people to sing the national anthem leaving out Dravida?”
Doordarshan Issues Apology
In response, Doordarshan Chennai apologized for the mistake, explaining that the omission was accidental due to a distraction. They clarified that there was no intention to disrespect Tamil or the state anthem.
Political Reactions and Protests
The omission drew sharp criticism from various political figures, including AIADMK leader and Leader of the Opposition, Edappadi K Palaniswami, who termed it a “blunder.”
The incident also led to protests by members of the DMK’s youth wing outside the Doordarshan Chennai office, as tensions continued to rise over the perceived imposition of Hindi in Tamil Nadu.
Governor Ravi’s Response
Governor RN Ravi responded to Stalin’s remarks, calling them “regrettable” and accusing the chief minister of making a “racist remark” against him. Ravi emphasized his commitment to spreading Tamil across other states, pointing out his recent efforts to establish a Tamil diploma course at Gauhati University in Assam.
Ravi also criticized the chief minister for making baseless allegations, saying, “Making racist remarks and alleging incorrect imputations against the governor is unfortunately cheap and lowers the dignity of the high constitutional office of the chief minister.”
The Raj Bhavan issued a statement clarifying that the governor had no role in the omission of the line during the anthem performance, stating that he merely participated in the program.
DMK’s Longstanding Concerns on Language Imposition
This controversy is part of a broader issue, as the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government has repeatedly accused the central government and Governor Ravi of attempting to impose Hindi at the expense of regional languages. However, the Union government has consistently rejected these allegations, insisting that its policies aim to support all Indian languages equally.