'They called us vandheri': Sitharaman says she was mocked in Tamil Nadu for learning Hindi

New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday expressed anguish over not being allowed to learn Hindi in Tamil Nadu as a student and was even mocked on the streets for attempting to learn the language.

The minister's reply to the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, in the Lok Sabha digressed to the language issue when some Opposition members tried to corner Sitharaman over her Hindi.

Recalling her experience as a student in Tamil Nadu, Sitharaman shared her experience when learning Hindi and Sanskrit was looked down upon in the southern state.

"I speak from my lived experience in Tamil Nadu when even going to learn Hindi, aside from my school, I was mocked on the streets. And I was mocked saying - oh you want to learn Hindi. You live in Tamil Nadu... and you want to learn Hindi, that North India's bhasha (language). These are the words ringing in my ears...

"Learning Hindi and Sanskrit are perceived as learning some other foreign language. Is Tamil Nadu not part of India. So what's wrong in my learning Hindi?" she said in the Lower House.

Sitharaman, who was born in Madurai, lamented that she was called 'vandheri' (a Tamil word loosely meaning outsider in a negative sense). "They called us vandheri. Is it not part of a political strategy there?" she wondered.

The minister said that she was denied her "fundamental right" to learn the language of her choice. "I have lived the experience of Tamil Nadu imposing on me not to learn Hindi. Is that not imposition on me?," Sitharaman asked.

"It's alright to say we don't want imposition of Hindi. We don't want to impose Hindi but why did they impose on me not to learn Hindi? I want to ask this," Sitharaman said.

The minister also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken Tamil language to the UN.

"Tell me one prime minister who has taken Tamil to the UN...Narendra Modi. Tell me one PM who quotes Tamil repeatedly...because he respects that language. Tell me one PM with whom DMK has been in alliance with, where the PM quoted Tamil. That is the respect we give to the sentiments of all of us Tamils," she said.