Slamming the reported recommendation of a Parliamentary Committee on Official Language to use Hindi as a medium of instruction in IITs, IIMs and Central universities (in Hindi-speaking States and regional languages in other parts), Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Monday cautioned the Union government against forcing another language war by imposing Hindi.
"All [State] languages should be elevated into official languages of the Union government. Do not take a totally opposite position and attempt to make Hindi mandatory and force another language war on us. Do not try to test the fire of our mother language affinity," Mr. Stalin said in a three-page statement.
Urging the Narendra Modi-led Union government to drop the proposal to make Hindi mandatory and uphold the flame of Indian unity, he charged that forcing an "impractical" proposal would only portray as if Hindi-speaking population alone were Indian citizens and others were second-class citizens.
