Stalin bats for Tamil, speaks against communalism

Language is the “life” of a race, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin said on Friday, and underlined that the Tamil race had alone “given its life to protect the language”.

Addressing the Chennai Literary Festival in Chennai after its inauguration, he also listed the steps taken by his DMK over the years to promote and nurture Tamil language.

The Tamil race gave “its life to protect the language”, the DMK veteran said in an obvious reference to the anti-Hindi agitation of the 1960s.

Late DMK President and former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had insisted that respect for a language was a must, Stalin said.

“That is the need of the hour. Language is the life of a race. Nobody should forget literature is its heart. Our Tamil race gave its life to protect the language,” he said.

DMK bats for Tamil

While the Dravidian movement was political, Stalin said it has protected the language.

He listed the pro-Tamil initiatives of successive DMK governments including re-naming Madras state as Tamil Nadu, ensuring classical language status to Tamil, renaming Madras as Chennai, vigorously promoting Tirukkural and also putting up a 133 feet statue of Tiruvalluvar.

Quoting from the Tirukkural, he said its highlighting equality will unite people whenever there was division on the basis of communalism and casteism.

Paul Zacharia and Bava Chelladurai were among those who participated.

(With Agency inputs)