Tamil Nadu govt gearing up to ban Hindi language; will ban Hindi signboards, films, songs across state

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government is preparing to introduce a bill banning the Hindi language in the state. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin is expected to present the bill in the Assembly on the final day of the session. According to reports, the proposed bill seeks to ban Hindi signboards, Hindi films, and songs across Tamil Nadu. Stalin had earlier warned the Centre not to impose Hindi on Tamils and not to undermine their self-respect. The bill follows this strong statement from the Chief Minister.

Stalin had earlier said that Tamil Nadu would oppose the BJP's attempts to impose Hindi and Sanskrit on the people. The DMK government is bringing forward the anti-Hindi bill as part of this stand. The ruling party argues that the state’s two-language policy (Tamil and English) has been effective in school and higher education, as well as in skill development and employment generation. Stalin had earlier accused the BJP of neglecting the southern states, and the DMK had used the language issue as a major campaign point during the last Lok Sabha elections.