Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has termed the statement made by Home Minister Amit Shah on suggesting to make Hindi the national language of India a ‘war cry’ against non-Hindi speakers in the country.
Vijayan took to Twitter to express his displeasure as he wrote, “The claim that Hindi unifies our country is absurd. That language is not the mother tongue of a majority of Indians. The move to inflict Hindi upon them amounts to enslaving them. Union Minister’s statement is a war cry against the mother tongues of non-Hindi speaking people.”
The claim that Hindi unifies our country is absurd. That language is not the mother tongue of a majority of Indians. The move to inflict Hindi upon them amounts to enslaving them. Union Minister’s statement is a war cry against the mother tongues of non-hindi speaking people.
— Pinarayi Vijayan (@vijayanpinarayi) September 15, 2019
He added, “No Indian should feel alienated because of language. India’s strength is its ability to embrace diversity. Sangh Parivar must relinquish divisive policies. They must realize that people can see through the ploy; that this is an attempt to divert attention from the real problems.”
Shah’s statement evoked angry reactions from other prominent leaders in south India including DMK chief MK Stalin, who reminded the home minister the country was India and not ‘Hindia.’ Stalin wrote on Twitter in Tamil, “The Home Minister’s views threatening India’s integrity are painful and condemnable. The DMK will not hesitate to unite states which stand to lose rights due to Hindi dominance.”
இல்லையெனில், தமிழகத்தில் உள்ள நட்பு சக்திகள் மட்டுமின்றி, இந்தி ஆதிக்கத்தால் உரிமைகளை இழக்கும் இந்தியாவின் பெரும்பாலான மாநிலங்களையும் இணைத்து ஜனநாயகப் போர்க்களத்தை சந்திக்க தி.மு.கழகம் தயங்காது.
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) September 14, 2019
Shah on Saturday took to Twitter on the occasion of Hindi Diwas on Saturday suggesting that Hindi be declared as the national language to unite the country. He had repeated his stand later while speaking at an event. He had said, “India is a country of many different languages, and each language has its own significance, but it is necessary to have a common language that becomes the mark of India’s identity globally… Today, if there is one language that has the ability to string the nation together in unity, it is the Hindi language which is the most widely-spoken and understood language in India.”
