A leader of Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK has controversially called Hindi the language of "yet to be developed states" and has said its imposition will reduce Tamils to the status of "Shudras".
TKS Elangovan, a DMK Rajya Sabha member, has also said that enforcing Hindi in southern states amounts to "Manu Dharma" being imposed.
"Hindi will do us no good. Hindi is not the mother tongue in developed states including West Bengal, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala," Mr Elangovan said at a meet organized to protest the imposition of Hindi.
"Hindi is the mother tongue in yet to develop states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and newly carved states. Then why should we learn Hindi?"
He also took a swipe at Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who has been pitching for Hindi as an alternative to English in India. "Amit Shah had said Hindi as a national language will give it a global identity. 'Unity in diversity' is India's signature identity. Is Amit Shah an Indian? I have a doubt," said the DMK leader.
Mr Elangovan's comments, and his use of the casteist term "Shudras" - used to describe the lowest rung in the caste order, have gone viral.
In Tamil Nadu, allegations that the Centre is trying to impose Hindi is a sensitive subject. The DMK had successfully used the issue to mobilise public support in the 1960s and rise to power.
The State government has even alleged the imposition of Hindi in the National Education Policy 2020 and has made it clear Tamil Nadu will only follow its two-language formula of Tamil and English.
Mr Elangovan said Tamil pride is 2,000 years old and the culture of Tamils was to always practise equality, including among genders.
"They are trying to destroy the culture and trying to impose Manu Dharma through Hindi...this should not be allowed...if we did, we will be slaves, shudras," he said.
Mr Elangovan's comments followed his party colleague and State Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy's recent jibe that Hindi-speaking people were selling "pani puri" in the state, in response to claims that learning the language would fetch jobs.
"Many said you will get jobs if you learn Hindi. Is it so...look here in Coimbatore, who is selling pani puri. It is them (Hindi-speaking individuals)," he had said.
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