‘South Indian’ Celebration? Why DMK’s Language Protest Has Congress Nervous About Notion Recreation – News18
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The Congress is attempting to withstand makes an attempt to be labelled as ‘south Indian’, after having misplaced house in north India however coming to energy in Telangana and Karnataka
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, DMK MPs Tiruchi Siva, A Raja, MDMK chief Vaiko and different MPs stage a protest in opposition to the BJP-led Centre in the course of the finances session of Parliament, in New Delhi on March 11. (Picture: PTI/Shahbaz Khan)
The Hindi versus Tamil conflict between the Centre and DMK has caught the Congress in a bind and put the INDIA bloc in a repair. The Grand Previous Celebration is attempting to withstand makes an attempt to be labelled as ‘south Indian’, after having misplaced house in north India however coming to energy in Telangana and Karnataka.
In truth, when senior Congress chief Rahul Gandhi was elected from Kerala’s Wayanad within the Lok Sabha elections final 12 months, this notion gained in energy. That is why the get together was eager that he symbolize the Rae Bareli parliamentary constituency within the Lok Sabha whereas Priyanka Gandhi moved to Wayanad.
The DMK is a crucial ally to the Congress and, with out it, the get together has little or no future in Tamil Nadu. After a day’s hesitation, it requested its Tamil Nadu MPs to hitch the DMK’s protest over the three-language coverage within the Nationwide Training Coverage (NEP) 2020. It was solely after that, Karti Chidambaram and Manickam Tagore had been noticed alongside their southern allies.
However this assist for the English trigger and “anti-Hindi” stance is sensible for the DMK, which is predicated out of Tamil Nadu, and for the Congress down south. However the get together prides itself on being pan-Indian and desires to extend its footprint within the north as effectively. Which is the rationale why this notion that it’s “anti-Hindi” is worrying a lot of its northern leaders.
In accordance with sources, some Congress MPs from the north raised this concern throughout a parliamentary technique get together assembly. “We perceive that we have to assist our ally, DMK, and southern MPs however gained’t it make us look anti-Hindi? Received’t it harm us?” they requested in the course of the assembly, sources stated.
Therefore, the nuanced stand on the NEP by the Congress. Whereas objecting to it “imposing” Hindi on the Tamil individuals, the get together doesn’t wish to problem a powerful assertion in opposition to it. In truth, the Gandhis have steered away from sturdy protests. That is additionally because of the upcoming elections in Bihar, a Hindi-speaking state.
Just lately, Rahul Gandhi had spoken on the draft UGC (College Grants Fee) norms and stated there was an try by the RSS to affect the schooling system.
“The Tamil individuals have their historical past, language, traditions, they usually have had their struggles. Doing this (UGC draft regulation) is an insult to them and all different states, the place the RSS is attempting to impose its hegemony,” he had stated.
However with the Bihar elections across the nook, many Congress leaders have given suggestions to the Gandhis to go gradual about focusing on the NEP, or the three-language coverage. They’re fearful that if the Gandhis step up their assault, it should appear to be the get together has taken a powerful stand.
This might reinforce the notion that the Congress is restricted and solely concerned with problems with the south. That is one purpose why many get together leaders and MPs from north are actually being cautious and don’t wish to be seen as siding with the DMK throughout their protest.
