From the Archives (May 25, 1971): PM’s talks with DMK leaders

The Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, to-day [New Delhi, May 24] sounded the DMK in Parliament on a compromise solution for the controversial issue of the use of Hindi nomenclature for Central Ministers. The new proposal mooted by Mrs. Gandhi when she met Mr. K. Manoharan and Mr. Era Sezhian, Leader and Deputy Leader respectively of the DMK Parliamentary Party this afternoon, envisages the use of English nomenclature with Hindi equivalents in Roman script in brackets in Parliamentary documents. The DMK leaders did not commit themselves to the proposal. Mr. Manoharan will consult the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Mr. Karunanidhi, and then convey his party’s reaction to the new proposal. It appears that the DMK leaders had got scent of the compromise move on the use of both Hindi and English terms even in the morning. But at that time their information was that the English nomenclature would be used in brackets. They were opposed to this. The DMK members in both Houses of Parliament to-day raised their voice with all the force at their command against the use of Hindi nomenclature in Roman script in parliamentary papers circulated to-day. To soften their ruffled feelings, the Prime Minister said in the Lok Sabha that she would convene a meeting of Opposition leaders and find a satisfactory solution.