Tamil Nadu: Order to rename 'Curd' to 'Dahi' withdrawn after backlash from political parties

A directive from India’s food safety authority FSSAI to remain curd packets as “Dahi” in Hindi was changed on Thursday after it did not go down well with DMK-ruled Tamil Nadu and opposition JD(S) in Karnataka, with both decrying attempts of "Hindi imposition" and TN saying "nahi to dahi" (No to curd).

Earlier, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had issued the directive to the federation of milk producers in Tamil Nadu, asking them to change the labels of their curd packets from "Curd" in English and "Thayir" in Tamil to "Dahi" in Hindi. 

FSSAI’s directive also applied to other dairy products such as cheese and butter. 

Stalin condemns the move

On Wednesday, Stalin had condemned the imposition of Hindi even in labelling curd and said those responsible for it would be "banished" from the southern parts of the country. 

On his Twitter handle, Stalin posted a news report on FSSAI directing Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) to label curd as "dahi" prominently. 

Citing the report, Stalin had said, "the unabashed insistences of #HindiImposition have come to the extent of directing us to label even a curd packet in Hindi, relegating Tamil & Kannada in our own states. Such brazen disregard to our mother tongues will make sure those responsible are banished from South forever." 

The Bengaluru datelined report had said the FSSAI directed the KMF to use the Kannada equivalent for curd "mosaru" in brackets. 

"The FSSAI clarification on labelling curd has come recently after Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka milk federations sought usage of local names on the curd sachets," the report said. Also, Tamil Nadu Cooperative Milk Producers Federation has been told by FSSAI that to Tamil words "tair" or "tayir" could be used in brackets. 

This is not the first time that Tamil Nadu has opposed what it calls “Hindi imposition” government at the centre. It has a long history of anti-Hindi agitation dating back to the 1930s.