Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin on Tuesday strongly objected to the installation of a Hindi name board reading “Kartavya Dwar” at the entrance of the Divisional Railway Manager’s office in Tiruchirappalli, calling it an instance of “Hindi imposition” by the BJP-led Union government.
In a post on his official X account, titled, “Hindi Imposition by the BJP Government: Unpronounceable names at the very entrance!”, Stalin wrote, “The BJP is crossing all limits in its obsession with Hindi imposition!”
Referring to the signage practice, he said the Centre was following a “one language, three scripts” model by keeping the Hindi name and presenting it in Tamil and English scripts instead of giving the office a proper Tamil name.
Stalin stated that merely transliterating a Hindi name into Tamil and English does not respect the linguistic identity of Tamil Nadu. He said that central government offices functioning in the state should use appropriate Tamil names and not impose Hindi terms in any form. He warned that continuing such measures would lead to strong opposition from the people of Tamil Nadu.
In his post, the Chief Minister Stalin also cited other examples to underline his allegation of Hindi imposition. He referred to the naming of Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation buildings as “Bhavishya Nidhi Bhavan” and the renaming of the Union Ministry of Water Resources as “Jal Shakti.” He said these instances showed a pattern of replacing or sidelining regional language usage with Hindi or Sanskrit-based names.
The controversy arose after signage bearing the name “Kartavya Dwar,” which translates to “Gateway of Duty,” was installed at the entrance of the Tiruchirappalli Divisional Railway Manager’s office under the Southern Railway. The board displays the Hindi name along with its rendering in Tamil and English scripts.
Earlier, Su. Venkatesan, Member of Parliament from Madurai, had objected to the naming. In a social media post, he urged the Southern Railway authorities to remove the Hindi name and replace it with a Tamil name, stating that public institutions in Tamil Nadu should reflect the state’s official language.
– Magizh
