BJP allies in TN condemn Sanskrit week celebrations

After protests against the Union government’s order to promote Hindi, a circular on celebrating Sanskrit week next month sent to CBSE schools in Tamil Nadu has the state’s politicians up in arms.

After protests against the Union government’s order to promote Hindi, a circular on celebrating Sanskrit week next month sent to CBSE schools in Tamil Nadu has the state’s politicians up in arms. They viewed the move as a conspiracy to impose a different language and culture upon Tamilians and said it would not be allowed in the state.

Leading the charge against the Central Board of Secondary Education circular on Sanskrit week was MDMK secretary general and NDA ally, Vaiko, who said it was a dangerous and atrocious attempt to impose the culture of a particular section of people on others. Condemning the “celebration of Sanskrit Week in CBSE schools,” Vaiko said only one language should not be promoted as it will affect national integrity.

“Centre should recall the circular. CBSE director’s circular threatens pluralism,” Vaiko said adding “Tamil Nadu will never allow imposition of the language and culture of a particular section of people on Tamils. The state had struggled and won in resurrecting Tamil from the influence of Sanskrit,” Vaiko said.

Hailing Sanskrit as the mother of all languages, the CBSE circular asked all schools to hold Sankrit week celebrations in August on an experimental basis.

PMK chief Ramadoss too slammed the move and asked the CBSE to recall the circular and to celebrate official languages in states. He said Sanskrit was spoken only by 14,000 people and TN cannot accept the imposition. “It appears to be an attempt to impose Saskrit based culture,” Ramadoss said, adding that “discriminating against languages was not right.”

Joining the fray DMK party spokesperson TKS Elangovan said, “If they are celebrating classical languages, then Tamil is a classical language. But no, they are seemingly pushing the non-Hindi speaking states by trying to impose other language,” he said.