Tamil Nadu: Tamil Nadu agriculture minister MRK Panneerselvam triggered a row by his remarks linking migrant workers from northern states to menial jobs and defending the state’s two-language policy.
Speaking at a public event, Paneerselvam said people who are from north who have “learnt only Hindi” have limited job opportunities in southern states further mentioning they often end up in low paying roles, while students from within the state are benefitted from learning Both Tamil and English.
The minister said people from northern states are coming to Tamil Nadu to work in low-paying jobs such as cleaning tables, construction labour and selling pani puri, claiming they know only Hindi. In contrast, he said children from Tamil Nadu, having followed a two-language policy and gained strong English skills, are moving abroad to places like the US and London, where they are securing high-paying opportunities and earning in crores.
This comments of him quickly drew criticism from leaders of opposition parties who termed it insensitive and divisive.
Facing criticism over the remarks, leaders of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) moved to contain the fallout. Party spokesperson Dr Syed Hafeezullah said that every lawful occupation carries dignity and clarified that the DMK does not oppose Hindi-speaking people or the nature of their work. He said the minister’s comments were meant to underline Tamil Nadu’s two-language policy and the state’s long-standing focus on English as a gateway to global opportunities.
According to him, the two-language framework has played a key role in the state’s progress, with English enabling better education and wider employment prospects internationally. He added that the lack of similar emphasis on English in several Hindi-speaking states has affected educational growth there.
DMK Lok Sabha MP T.R. Baalu also said the minister’s remarks had been taken out of context and insisted there was no intent to insult people from northern states. He reiterated the party’s consistent stand against what it describes as the imposition of Hindi.
The remarks also drew responses from leaders of other political parties. Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said Tamil Nadu’s economy relies heavily on migrant workers from different states and emphasised that they are both welcome and safe in the state, terming the comments irresponsible.
Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad strongly criticised the statement, calling it insulting to people from northern India. JD(U) MP Sanjay Jha, meanwhile, said workers from the northern states have made significant contributions to economic growth wherever they have been employed across the country.
At a recent summit, Tamil Nadu Industries Minister T.R.B. Rajaa said the state government is not opposed to Hindi-speaking people, but has a responsibility to safeguard and promote the Tamil language. He noted that large foreign communities live and work in Tamil Nadu without any linguistic conflict, underscoring the state’s inclusive approach.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
