Tamil Nadu’s Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has strongly responded to Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan’s remarks accusing Tamil politicians of hypocrisy over the Hindi language debate.
Speaking at a rally, Pawan Kalyan questioned why Tamil Nadu leaders opposed Hindi imposition while allowing Tamil films to be dubbed into Hindi for commercial gains.
DMK spokesperson Dr. Syed Hafeezullah dismissed Kalyan’s argument, calling it a "shallow understanding" of Tamil Nadu’s language policies.
"Tamil Nadu has never opposed individuals learning Hindi or any other language. What we oppose is the imposition of Hindi on our people," he said.
The rebuttal comes amid growing tensions over the National Education Policy (NEP) and the Central government’s push for Hindi, which Tamil Nadu has historically resisted. DMK leaders argue that comparing language policy with business decisions—such as dubbing films—is an oversimplification that ignores Tamil Nadu’s long-standing stance on linguistic rights.
Kalyan, who leads the Janasena Party, a key NDA ally, and a supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had taken aim at Tamil politicians, accusing them of double standards.
"I don’t understand why some criticize Sanskrit. Why do Tamil Nadu politicians oppose Hindi while allowing their films to be dubbed into Hindi for financial gain? They take money from Bollywood but refuse to accept Hindi—what kind of logic is that?" Kalyan had questioned.
The DMK countered this by pointing out that Tamil Nadu has Hindi Prachar Sabhas, which voluntarily teach Hindi to those interested.
"If people want to learn Hindi, they are welcome to do so. The issue arises when the Central government enforces Hindi through policies like the NEP or PM SHRI schools," Hafeezullah explained.
Senior DMK leader T.K.S. Elangovan backed Hafeezullah’s remarks, emphasizing that Tamil Nadu’s opposition to Hindi dates back decades.
"We have been opposing Hindi since 1938. The Tamil Nadu Assembly passed legislation in 1968 to follow the two-language formula based on expert recommendations—not the opinions of actors. Pawan Kalyan was not even born when this decision was made. He does not understand Tamil Nadu’s political history. He is supporting the BJP just to gain favors from the government," Elangovan said.
Meanwhile, the BJP supported Kalyan’s stance, arguing that Hindi, as India’s national language, should be promoted in the southern states.
"Hindi is our national language, and the government is working to ensure it reaches the masses. Unfortunately, previous governments have suppressed nationalist culture. The use of Hindi should be implemented strongly in the South as well," said BJP leader Vikram Randhawa.
The debate over language imposition continues to be a contentious political issue, with Tamil Nadu firmly maintaining its stand against mandatory Hindi, while the BJP and its allies push for a wider adoption of the language across India.
