Chennai: After stridently opposing the Centre's move to impose the three-language formula, DMK president MK Stalin on Wednesday demanded that Tamil be made an official language in all central government offices. Talking to reporters, he said, "We should take a vow on this day to make Tamil an official language in central government offices." The DMK will continue to extend support to this cause, he added. Stalin, who is also leader of the opposition in the state assembly, claimed the Centre was trying to impose Hindi under the three-language formula and it tweaked its decision following opposition from Tamils. The DMK proposal came a day after the Centre dropped the contentious provision of compulsory teaching of Hindi in non-Hindi speaking states.
In Tamil Nadu, a two-language formula of Tamil and English is being followed since 1968 after the DMK stormed to power in 1967 under the leadership of Dravidian stalwart and party founder CN Annadurai. CM DELETES TWEET: Days after a political uproar in Tamil Nadu over the controversial three language clause in the Draft National Education Policy, the State Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami courted controversy over a tweet, seeking to promote Tamil in other states, which he had to delete in a matter of hours.
Palaniswami, through his personal Twitter handle, had tweeted in the morning, “Request Hon'ble PM @narendramodi ji to include Tamil as an optional language for study in other states. This will be a great service to one of the most ancient languages of the world.” Within no time, the opposition questioned the intention of the tweet. DMK organising secretary R S Bharathi questioned if by seeking to propagate Tamil elsewhere, the Chief Minister was endorsing the Centre's three language formula [English, Hindi and regional language) as adopted in Tamil Nadu for the past 60 years.
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi leader Thol Thirumavalavan criticised the Chief Minister saying he was merely helping the Centre to enforce its three language policy - that would ensure the entry of Hindi through the backdoor in Tamil Nadu. By late afternoon, realising that he had stirred a hornet's nest, the Chief Minister deleted the tweet which again became a talking point on social media and political circles. A senior minister said, “Palaniswami deleted it as his tweet was misunderstood. He was only trying to promote Tamil.”
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