After his comments on Sanatana Dharma, where he called for its ‘eradication’, Udhayanidhi Stalin, the son of Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister Stalin, spoke out against Home minister Amit Shah on ‘Hindi Diwas,’ describing it as a ‘forceful imposition.’
Reacting to Amit Shah’s remarks on the eve of Hindi Diwas, he said that Shah should stop ‘denigrating’ other languages than Hindi.
He wrote, “It is absurd to say that Hindi spoken in four or five states unites the entire Indian Union. Amit Shah should stop denigrating languages other than Hindi as regional languages,” ending his tweet with #StopHindiImposition.
“இந்தி தான் நாட்டு மக்களை ஒன்றிணைக்கிறது – பிராந்திய மொழிகளுக்கு அதிகாரமளிக்கிறது” என்று வழக்கம் போல தனது இந்தி மொழிப் பாசத்தை ஒன்றிய அமைச்சர் அமித்ஷா பொழிந்துள்ளார். இந்தி படித்தால் முன்னேறலாம் என்ற கூச்சலின் மாற்று வடிவம் தான் இந்தக் கருத்து.
தமிழ்நாட்டில் தமிழ் – கேரளாவில்…
— Udhay (@Udhaystalin) September 14, 2023
He further questioned Amit Shah’s notion of Hindi as a language that ‘unites the people of India’. He said, “Union Minister Amit Shah, as usual, showering his love for the Hindi language. This idea is an alternative form of shouting that if you study Hindi, you can progress. Tamil in Tamil Nadu – Malayalam in Kerala. Where does Hindi unite these two states? Where does empowerment come in?”
Earlier today, Home minister Amit Shah addressed the nation on the occasion of Hindi Diwas saying that Hindi language will become a medium to empower regional languages. He said, “Every indigenous language and dialect are a treasure of our cultural heritage. We can build an empowered nation only by empowering every language. I believe that Hindi will become a medium to empower and promote the regional languages. Hindi will pave the way to make regional languages stronger,”.
Talking about the significance of Hindi during the freedom struggle of the country, the union minister said that the language instilled a feeling of unity in a country divided into many languages and dialects.
हिंदी दिवस के अवसर पर मेरा संदेश… https://t.co/SVhPFu0Kra
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) September 14, 2023
“Hindi, as a language of communication, played an important role in carrying forward the freedom struggle from East to West and North to South in the country. The movements for achieving ‘Swaraj’ and ‘Swabhasha’ were going on simultaneously in the country. Considering the important role of Hindi in the freedom movement and after independence, the architects of the Constitution had accepted Hindi as the official language on 14 September 1949,” he added.
Asserting that “sanatana” opposes the concept of social justice, Udhayanidhi Stalin, the Secretary of DMK’s youth wing and the Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development, stated on September 2, Saturday that it must be eliminated.
Speaking at a conference hosted by the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers Artists Association, focused on the topic of “eradicating sanatana,” he emphasised that opposing santana was not enough; it needed to be completely removed. He argued that sanatana was regressive, perpetuated caste divisions, and stood against principles of equality and women’s empowerment.