Chennai, India- The Tamil Nadu government has substituted the rupee symbol with its Tamil equivalent in the latest state budget documents. Subsequently, M K Stalin has triggered a conversation on linguistic identity and federal language policies.
Chief among them is the simmering controversy on the three-language policy and the imposition of Hindi in non-Hindi-speaking states.
A Stand for Linguistic Identity
Substituting the rupee symbol with the Tamil script manifests the state’s great linguistic commitment. The people of Tamil Nadu have long resisted those policies. They considered attempts to endorse the use of
Hindi and support a two-language policy of Tamil and English instead of the three-language formula. This has Hindi included within itself, imposed by the central government.
A Starting Point
Anti-Hindi Agitations Attempts to impose Hindi on Tamil Nadu date back to the mid-20th century. In particular, in 1965, it was mentioned to make Hindi the only official language.
Consequently, this was met with immense protests that became known as anti-Hindi agitations. These were highly impactful in shaping the language policies of Tamil Nadu. Eventually leading to the imposition of Tamil and English in official and educational domains.
The Three-Language Formula Debate
The three-language formula was framed in 1968 to encourage multilingualism and prompt students to learn Hindi, English, and a regional language. Therefore, Tamil Nadu has consistently opposed this.
Instead, it has always sought that the languages of Tamil and English should be used in teaching within the state. Many see the decision to write the rupee symbol in the Tamil script in official documents as a reaffirmation of the state’s linguistic pride. Also, a subtle protest against perceived cultural homogenization.
Recent Decisions and Politics Behind Them
This development brings up pertinent questions regarding what one could balance together, national unity and regional diversity. Hindi is the mother tongue of a substantial section of the Indian populace. Yet, many other states have diverse languages, notably in the south.
The demand for Hindi to be declared the national language often runs against the opposition of many other regions, which see it as a form of meddling into their cultural and linguistic independence. Within Tamil Nadu, the public’s response on the budget’s linguistic turn has been chiefly positive.
Many in Tamil Nadu perceive this as a step in the right direction to protect their rich linguistic culture.
Cultural Significance
Cultural organizations and linguistic scholars have appreciated the move. They stated that it strengthens the premise of regional languages in official and public domains. The declaration from Tamil Nadu provides a different discourse on language policy.
As the debate over language policy continues, it graphically reveals the crooked lines set by linguistic disparities in India.
Administrative demands have often reminded this austere state that linguistic policies respectful of regional identities would engender national unification.
The exercise reiterates that issues related to languages and cultures should be addressed. This is because a population like India requires a healthy dialogue and goodwill.
Conclusively, by replacing the rupee symbol by its Tamil symbol in the state budget, Tamil Nadu makes more than a ceremonial change. It forms a powerful statement of cultural identity. This also adds a demand for a more inclusive approach to the language policy in India.
The discussions about the three-language formula and the imposition of Hindi continue. Furthermore, it brings another dimension to the ongoing discourse around diversity and federalism in languages in the country.
