BJP slams DMK for its stance on Hindi

By Venkatachari Jagannathan

Chennai, Sep 19 (IANS) The BJP has slammed DMK for its stance on Hindi, saying if the regional party was so strongly against this language, the schools owned by its functionaries should not have CBSE syllabus as Hindi is taught in that.

"The schools owned by DMK functionaries should shift to state board syllabus from CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) stream," BJP's National Secretary H Raja said.

"For making money, they teach Hindi in their schools and for politics, they oppose Hindi... This reality has to be exposed," he told IANS, while targeting the DMK which accused the Modi government of trying to impose Hindi language on states.

According to Raja, being anti-Tamil is in the DNA of DMK and its parent body Dravida Kazhagam (DK).

He said the Justice Party government in 1926 had issued a Government Order classifying Telugu-speaking Scheduled Caste (SC) as 'Aadhi Telungar' whereas Tamil-speaking SC were classified as 'Aadhi Dravidar'.

"Why this double standards? They could have classified the latter as 'Aadhi Tamizhar'. It is a clear case of undermining Tamil identity," Raja said, while contending that DMK was anti-Tamil.

"The DK founder E.V. Ramasamy had called Tamil as the language of barbarians and urged people to study English," Raja said.

Responding to the charge, DMK spokesperson and Member of Parliament T.K.S.Elangovan told IANS: "Periyar - as Ramasamy is popularly known - said that to denote Tamil's antiquity."

On the need for global identity for an Indian language, Raja said: "Every nation has its own language. So why not one for India?"

Asked why it could not be Tamil as it is already an international language and being the official language in Sri Lanka, Singapore and India and having the classical language status, Raja said: "Hindi is spoken by more people in India than Tamil."

According to him, DMK was in the seat of power in Tamil Nadu for a long time and could have set up an organisation like the Uttar Bharat Tamil Prachar Sabha on the lines of Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha to spread Tamil.

"We respect Tamil. We have to call the bluff of anti-Tamil DMK and others. They want to erase the Tamil by undermining it to Dravida identity," Raja said.

According to him, the Draft New Education Policy speaks about three language formula in schools. This offers opportunity for Tamil teachers to go to other parts of the country and teach Tamil.

"The DMK does not want positive ideas. They are negative forces," Raja vented out.