Chennai: "On this day when we are celebrating our leader Kalaignar's birthday as the day of classical Tamil, Centre has dropped its move to make learning of Hindi compulsory. This demonstrates Kalaignar is alive", tweeted DMK president M K Stalin, reacting to the HRD statement modifying the draft of the National Education Policy on Monday.
"We shall protect Mother Tamil by opposing, forever, the imposition of Hindi supremacy", said Stalin.
The DMK chief was among the several political leaders who had voiced strong opposition to the NEP draft when it was released on Friday last. His ally and MDMK leader Vaiko had gone to the extent of warning public agitation that would be fiercer than the one that had brought down the Congress regime in Tamil Nadu in 1965.
Amid all the heat of the anti-Hindi/anti-saffron fury in high decibels, there was this soothing 'music' from Oscar-winner A R Rahman. "Azhagiya theervu", said his tweet in Tamil.
Terming a "lovely decision" the NEP draft modification that dropped the proposal to make Hindi compulsory, the celebrated composer said, "Hindi is not compulsory in Tamil Nadu…it's a welcome correction".
And that was not all. "Tamizh is spreading in Punjab", was another Rahman post n twitter. And tagged along was the delightful rendering by the handsome sikh Jasdeep Jogi's rendering of Innum Konjam Neram from the Movie Maryan.
Social media is flooded with pro and anti Hindi posts by people, mostly Tamils, across the world. "I think Tamilians don't have any problem with Hindi as such. It is the attitude that stems from Hindi supremacy that puts them off, and rightly so. Only a sincere attempt by the North to understand Tamil ethos, culture and pride can bridge the gap", tweeted Vasudha Venugopal.
Reacting, Sandeep Balakrishna said, "This tweet is a great proof that we as a nation erred grievously in not making Sanskrit as the national language".
And then there was this tweet from Navaghatha @navaghatha: "70+ years since Independence. We are still looking for a unifying language".
