Won't oppose Hindi if not imposed on TN, says CM

Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin on Wednesday said that his party, the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), will not oppose Hindi if it is not imposed on the southern state, and emphasised that forcing the language on the state's residents amounts to playing with their self respect.

- HT Correspondent

CHENNAI:

"For those asking why DMK still opposes Hindi, my humble response to them as one among you is -- because you still impose it on us," he said in a letter to DMK workers. "We won't oppose if you don't impose; won't blacken Hindi words in Tamil Nadu. Self-respect is Tamils' unique characteristic and we will not allow anyone, whoever it is, to play with it."

Stalin's comments on Wednesday came amid his bitter verbal war with Union education minister over the National Education Policy (NEP), which the former views as a tool to impose Hindi on the southern state -- a charge rejected by the latter. Language has long been an emotive issue for the state that was rocked by anti-Hindi agitation in the 1960s.