TN: Hindi classes in Tamil institute sparks controversy

Yet another controversy involving Hindi language has broken out in Tamil Nadu.

Introduction of Hindi and French classes at the International Institute of Tamil Studies (IITS) has evoked much criticism from Opposition parties and language lovers.

The institute, which is tasked with increasing research on culture and language, has begun offering classes in Hindi and French from Monday. Though the government says the language classes are optional, DMK and other Tamil outfits have found fault with the AIADMK dispensation by imposing Hindi in an institute that was launched to promote research in the 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 the introduction of Hindi as a 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.

The optional classes for Hindi and French language were inaugurated by Tamil Development Minister ‘MaFoi’ K Pandiarajan at the IITS here on Monday. The Minister, while defending the move to introduce optional languages, has said all 101 research students had opted for Hindi and French language training.

Former School Education Minister and DMK MLA Thangam Thennarasu says the very objective of the Tamil institute has been made to fail with the introduction of Hindi and French classes. “The institute’s objective is to impart Tamil to non-Tamil speaking students and increase research on the language. To forget that and bring Hindi as an optional language is nothing but absurd,” he told DH.

This is nothing but facilitating “back-door entry of Hindi” into the institute, Thennarasu said. However, Pandiarajan said Hindi classes are offered only for 100 hours in an academic year as many students have opted for it and that there was nothing wrong in introducing new languages.

“To say that Tamil has been side-lined just because two other languages have been brought as optional languages is wrong. The AIADMK government has done much more than the DMK in promoting Tamil language,” he said.