The recent language controversy in Tamil Nadu has once again brought the state’s long-standing concerns over linguistic and regional identity to the forefront. The controversy break out TN govt replacing the official symbol (₹) of INR from the state budget document, with Tamil equivalent. This decision heated the Indian political debate, with the ruling DMK party of Tamil Nadu for defending this movie.
Government’s Justification: Promoting Tamil Identity
The DMK govt, CM M.K. Stalin, defended the decision, stating that it was an effort to promote and preserve Tamil linguistic heritage. State has a long opposing the imposition of Hindi and advocating the use of Tamil as official language.
A senior official in the Tamil Nadu Finance Ministry remarked,
This is not about rejecting national symbols but about reinforcing Tamil’s significance in governance and public life. The rupee symbol is relatively recent, and our adaptation is a reflection of our linguistic heritage.
Opposition’s Criticism
However, the Opposition party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, accused the DMK government of fostering secessionist sentiments under the pretext of regional pride.
“By rejecting a national symbol like the rupee sign, the Tamil Nadu government is attempting to create unnecessary divisions between Tamil identity and Indian identity. This could set a dangerous precedent” says UFM Sitharaman.
Public Reaction and Social Media Debate
The issue has divided the public into two groups, some of the citizens stand with the replacement of national symbols with Tamil linguistics and on the other hand some of them are against this, as regional language is important but not more than the national identity.
The language dispute over the rupee symbol is just the latest in Tamil Nadu’s history of asserting its linguistic and cultural autonomy. The state has previously resisted Hindi imposition in schools, protested against central government language policies, and promoted Tamil as a primary medium of governance.