A Raja asks railway minister to remove Hindi banners from Nilgiris station
DMK leader and Nilgiris MP A Raja has written a letter to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, asking him to remove banners written in Hindi from the Udhagamandalam (Ooty) railway station in Tamil Nadu.
He said that one of the quotes on the banners was wrongly credited to freedom fighter Madan Mohan Malaviya, when it was actually said by famous Tamil poet Mahakavi Bharathi.
Raja said the increased use of Hindi at the station has upset many people in the state and led to public protests. He explained that the Nilgiris railway station is over 100 years old and is currently being renovated under the Amrit Bharat Scheme. However, with 90% of the work still pending, banners in Hindi have already been put up, which he said was disrespectful to the Tamil-speaking population.
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He reminded the Minister that Tamil Nadu has always valued its language and culture, and has consistently supported a two-language policy (Tamil and English). The use of Hindi in such public places is being seen by many as an unwanted imposition and a political move, he added.
Raja urged the central government to respect the language preferences of Tamil people and not to make Hindi a must in places where it is not needed. He requested the removal of the banners to avoid hurting public sentiments.
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[With TOI inputs]
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