Salem (TN): An elderly farmer set himself on fire in Tamil Nadu's Salem district on Saturday in protest against the centre's alleged move to impose Hindi in the southern state.
Thangavel, 85, took the extreme step outside the DMK party office in Thalaiyur in the morning. The deceased, an active DMK party member, allegedly poured petrol over himself and then set himself on fire. He died on the spot.
The octogenarian was distressed because of the Centre's alleged move to bring Hindi as a medium of education. The banner he carried before he killed himself read: "Modi government, central government, we don't want Hindi. Our mother tongue is Tamil and Hindi is a language for clowns. Imposing Hindi language will affect the lives of students. Get rid of Hindi, get rid of Hindi, get rid of Hindi."
Last month, the Tamil Nadu Assembly adopted a resolution against the Central government’s moves to impose Hindi, saying that such moves would be impractical and divisive and would discriminate against non-Hindi speaking people.
Also read: Uphold India's unity, don't force another language war through Hindi imposition: Stalin
The government resolution, moved by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, read: “This House urges the Union government not to implement the recommendations made in the report of the Parliamentary Committee on Official Language submitted by its chairman to the President on September 9, 2022, which are against the State languages including Tamil and also against the interest of the people who speak those languages.”
The parliamentary committee headed by Home Minister Amit Shah had recommended that Hindi be the medium of instruction in Central educational institutions. They include the Indian Institute of Technologies, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, and Central universities.
It also recommended that Hindi be the medium of instruction in all technical and non-technical institutions, and all Central government institutions, including Kendriya Vidyalayas.
After the committee sent its report to the President, Stalin had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 16, reminding him that all languages in the Eighth Schedule should be treated equally as envisaged in the Constitution.
