The Pattali Makkal Katchi organised a demonstration on Wednesday demanding that all shops and establishments display their signs prominently in Tamil.
The government should take action to ensure that this is done ahead of the World Classical Tamil Conference, the party demanded.
PMK founder S.Ramadoss, who inaugurated the protest, said that though the government claimed that there would be “Tamil everywhere and in everything” (‘Engum Tamil, edilum Tamil'), Tamil language was nowhere to be found on signboards. One had to search hard to find the language anywhere. This was despite three government orders.
The last order, issued when M.Karunanidhi was Chief Minister in 1990, even stipulated the extent to which Tamil had to be used on signboards. But this was not followed, he said.
PMK president G.K.Mani said the party would organise protests at the district and taluk level on June 21 to press this demand.
“No urgency shown”
Despite many orders – some of which were passed about 25 years ago – there was no urgency shown in implementing this, he added.