The Opposition DMK in Puducherry on Monday staged a protest against the alleged imposition of Hindi in the centrally-administered JIPMER, prompting Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan to hold discussions with officials, before insisting there was no such imposition and that the regional language Tamil was being accorded due priority.
DMK leaders led by the party convenor in the union territory and Leader of Opposition, R Siva, were arrested when they staged a protest against the recent circular of the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research directing use of Hindi in records and communication by the institute.
Slogans 'condemning' the communication issued by the premier institute on the use of Hindi in circulars and records were raised by the protestors including some local youth. Mr Siva alleged JIPMER was already denying job opportunities for the local youths and the present circular directing use of Hindi was another blow on the locals.
"The circular should be withdrawn unconditionally," he said, addressing the participants. Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi leader and member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, T Velmurugan, also opposed the move and dubbed it as "brazen imposition of Hindi."
Ms Soundararajan, who visited JIPMER and held discussions with the Director Rakesh Aggarwal, said "there is no imposition of Hindi in any manner in the institute and Tamil, the local language is given priority".
She told reporters that there were four circulars and a couple of them were being propagated as imposing Hindi.
"There is a specific circular that Tamil should be given priority particularly in all communications relating to the patients and services to the people in the institute," she said.
"There is no imposition of Hindi in any manner," she asserted.
JIPMER is a prestigious institute and "one should not interfere in its functioning by making allegations", she said.
She said all internal matters relating to staff knowing only Hindi were having the option regarding the language.
"There is no imposition of Hindi and patients approaching the institute were getting the benefit of communications in Tamil," she added.
"Let there be no politicisation as services of JIPMER should never suffer any interference. I assure that Tamil is given priority in JIPMER," she said.
Tamil was being used in display boards on top of other languages.
"JIPMER is functioning without any discrimination and all protests were uncalled for," she added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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