Strongly reacting to Union Home Minister Amit Shah introducing three Bills with Hindi names in the Lok Sabha, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Friday termed it “linguistic imperialism” and said the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had no moral right to even utter the word ‘Tamil’ henceforth.
In a statement titled, ‘Recolonisation in the name of Decolonisation!’, Mr. Stalin contended that the ‘audacious’ attempt by the Union BJP government to tamper with the essence of India’s diversity through a sweeping overhaul - Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Bill – reeked of linguistic imperialism.
“This is an affront to the very foundation of INDIA’s unity. BJP and Prime Minister Modi have no moral right to even utter the word Tamil hereafter,” Mr. Stalin said, adding that Tamil Nadu and the DMK had emerged as the vanguards against such oppressive overtones in the crucible of history.
“From the anti-Hindi agitations to safeguarding our linguistic identity, we have withstood the storm of Hindi imposition before, and we shall do it again, with unyielding determination. The fire of resistance against Hindi colonialism is ablaze once more. The BJP’s audacious bid to supplant our identity with Hindi will be opposed resolutely,” Mr. Stalin said.
