The issue of Hindi imposition was raised in the Rajya Sabha on Monday with AIADMK member M. Thambidurai saying that Hindi names in Bills should be translated to Tamil, English or other languages for the benefit of members.
While speaking on the Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2022, Mr. Thambidurai said the bill provides for converting the National Rail and Transport Institution, a deemed university, into an autonomous central university to be known as Gati Shakti Vishvavidyalaya.
“Our Prime Minister has spoken about encouraging the mother tongue and all national languages are recognised, when you are putting this name, put it in Tamil also, you put it in other languages also. You are advocating three languages formula but whenever names are coming they are in Hindi. There is no translation to Tamil, English or any other language. Gati means something else in Tamil,” Mr. Thambidurai said.
‘Hindi imperialism’
Earlier, during a farewell speech to outgoing Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, Congress’s Jairam Ramesh said it was due to Hindi imperialism that the spelling of the name of the road where Mr. Naidu will be moving in was incorrect. He said the Tamil “Thyagaraja” had become “Tyag Raj” road in Delhi.
“You have been a champion of Indian languages. In Tamil it is Thyagaraja, in Telugu it is Thyagaraja; why is he made Tyag Raj in Delhi? This is what Hindi imperialism does, what Hindi zealotry does, Thyag Raj is not one word (on the signage). I hope the name of the house you will be occupying for the next inning of your life will be Thyagaraja Marg and not Tyag Raj Marg,” he said.
Mr. Naidu said the road has been spelled like that for long and he was definitely going to change it. “Thyagaraja is a great musician. People in Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka love his music. He is now becoming international also,” Mr. Naidu said.
