Tamil Nadu’s political landscape pulsed with remembrance as Chief Minister MK Stalin led Language Martyrs’ Day observances on Sunday, venerating lives lost in battles against Hindi imposition that defined the region’s soul.
At the poignant Thalamuthu-Natarajan Memorial in Chennai, Stalin, clad in somber black, placed flowers before images of the fallen activists, rallying with ‘Salute to the Language Martyrs’ to echo enduring resolve.
His X message cut deep: ‘Hindi finds no foothold here. Tribute on Martyrs’ Day: Then no, now no, forever no. Tamil Nadu, prizing language over life, rallied against every thrust of imposition with heroic defiance.’
Stalin lauded the sacrifices that shielded subcontinental linguistic realms, honoring Tamil’s guardians. ‘Gratitude to those who died for our tongue. No further losses in strife; eternal Tamil vigilance against Hindi overreach.’
This annual January 25 ritual honors 1930s dissenters and 1965’s mass revolt, born from dread of Hindi eclipsing Tamil in education and officialdom, undermining Tamil Nadu’s voice.
The 1965 fervor, sweeping students and society, scarred yet unified the state, compelling national recalibration. Central assurances of English’s parallel status diffused crisis, nurturing federal linguistic harmony.
The gathering included Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, ministers PK Sekar Babu, MP Saminathan, Mayor R Priya, bureaucrats, party stalwarts, and locals, signaling language debates’ vitality.