Telugu replaces Hindi as optional language in IITS

After much outrage, the Tamil Nadu government has decided to replace Hindi with Telugu as one of the optional languages at the International Institute of Tamil Studies (IITS).

The government had last week made Hindi and French as optional languages for students at the IITS which is tasked with increasing research on culture and language. With political parties like the DMK and language lovers raising a banner of revolt, the Tamil Nadu government budged on Saturday.

“Rs 3 lakh originally allocated for teaching Hindi would be used for teaching Telugu. But French teaching will continue,” Tamil Development Minister ‘MaFoi’ K Pandiarajan said.

Though the government said the language classes were optional, DMK and other Tamil outfits had found fault with the AIADMK dispensation by accusing it of “imposing Hindi” in an institute that was launched to promote research in Tamil language.

This is the third major controversy to have broken out regarding “imposition of Hindi” in Tamil Nadu this year. The new education policy that recommended introduction of Hindi as third language in non-Hindi speaking states and Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement that Hindi was the only language that could integrate India had created much uproar in Tamil Nadu.