Make Tamil Centre's official language- Tamilnadu C.M.

In my view, these are all political stunts aimed to attract votes from the people.

It is not surprising demand from Karunanidhi who started his political career with anti-hindi protests.

English can not be official language. Do we need any foreign language to be our official language? What a shame?


Language issues is mere a political game. It is not concern with the common man. Hindi is getting popularity in Tamilnadu. Every year more than 6 lakh people are writing Hindi exams conducted by Hindi Prachar Sabha and growth is 20% per year. In 1965, at the height of anti-Hindi protests, the number was less than 20,000.

It is just POLITICAL GIMMICK, nothing else..

Good Morning my friends!

He believes that he has played a masterstroke by inflamming the passions on this issue but his dirty game can be easily seen through! He is out to perpetuate his and that of his family's rule.Tamil language is rich enough to do without his services.In fact he has misused the platform of World Tamil Congress for his selfish ends.His statement only goes to prove that he may be aging but his narrow parochial brand of politics in him is very much alive and kicking!

The elections are nearing in many states including Tamil Nadu.So we can expect more political dramas like this ridiculous statement.

Kumaresh- English is still the associate official language of the centre. In fact, the usual business of central government is conducted in English only. Hindi is still not being used prominently. So, it is okay to accept the reality and let English be the only official language. There is nothing foreign about English. This is second language of Indians in all states. English is official language of Nagaland- an Indian state. Language is only for communication.

better make all state languages as official languages and treat all of them with equal respect..

Promotion of Hindi as our national language has largely failed due to some hyperactive Hindi zealots.There should not be any sense of shame in treating English as the lingua franca in a multi-linguistic country like India.It's sheer pragmatism ,no room for emotion and passion.Although English people divided us when they left India,the role of English language in post-Independent India in keeping us together should not be lost sight of.

[quote]Promotion of Hindi as our national language has largely failed due to some hyperactive Hindi zealots[/quote]
The stupid baboos made the language like that. We should use English as our official language. By getting Tamil as a classic language the specswala 1000 crores of taxpayers money in his kitty and now he is demanding all Indians wealth to him. Not at all acceptable. He challenged other states by saying that no tamilians will be allowed to work in other states. what a sad state, isn't it ?

It's absolutely pathetic on the part of this veteran Tamil leader to talk in such loose terms.Perhaps he thinks promotion of his family is a Tamil cause!

This is indeed quite ridiculous and disrespectful to other languages!! Creating such secondary issues only to divert peoples' attention from the real issues is a mere stunt!!

Sajeetharan- We can treat all languages spoken in India as national but we cannot make these official language of the centre. The question of is smooth functioning. English is the only language that is effectively used in centre.

I agree with Chinmoy. He has well explained role of English in unifying India in a multi-linguistic environment. We use items invented in the west and wear foreign dress. Even our constitution is based on western values. Democracy and republic are western concepts. There is no problem in accepting English as the only official language of the nation. We should stop wasting money on so called official language implementation committee (Raj Bhasha Karyanayan samiti). Endless meetings are held throughout India to promote Hindi in government offices and banks. The government offices play funny by doing all work in English and using Hindi only for writing forwarding memos and reminders. If Hindi could not be working language of Centre even after sixty years of becoming republic, there is no point in further wasting efforts and money.

@Gulshan

You have drawn our attention to another area which is wanton wastage of money in the name of promoting Hindi.It has not produced the results over the years.

I think adopting English is good for our prosperity. But it may hinder the promotion of our own languages.

I agree with Gulshan and Chinmoy has very rightly pointed out the role of English in a multilingual country like ours!!

Abid, while English is the most understood language throughout the country, it may raise problem with regards to our own languages! Even now, many youngsters feel ashamed to talk in their own mother tongues! I think this problem is more of a personal preferences and the attitudes surrounding the particular language! This could only be addressed in our own homes where our own mother tongue should be preferred over English! While English is necessary to conduct official businesses outside home, the parents should insist on the mother tongue while at home!

I don't see that use of English can hinder the development of regional language.Even in the heyday of British Raj the Bengali literature produced such luminaries like Rabindra Nath Tagore and Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay and Bankim Chandra Chattterjee.

Abid- Adopting English as the only official language of the Centre by elevating its status from 'associate official language, promotion of 'own' languages in not hindered. English is also our own language. The state governments, courts at various levels and local bodies use the regional languages. So there is no fear of other languages being retarded. Chinmoy has aptly explained how Bengali literature was enriched despite use of English.

In fact even our late Prime minister Jahwarlal Nehru himself a great litterateur emphasised that knowledge of more than one language enriches the mother tongue too.