DK HOLDS PROTESTS AGAINST HINDI OPPOSITION, TERMS IT AS "SYMBOLIC AGITATION"

The Dravida Kazhagam (DK) organised a large demonstration against "Hindi imposition" on Saturday in Chennai. The demonstration was led by DK leader K Veeramani from Vepari's Periyar Thedial to the Egmore railway station.

Members of the party chanted anti-Centre and anti-Hindi imposition slogans during the agitation. The Union government must "change its attitude," they declared, or protests will continue.

K Veeramani stated in an interview with India Today: We have no hatred toward any language. We only object to a language being imposed. This is more of a hidden RSS agenda to impose Sanskrit culture than just an imposition of a language. Since 1938, there has been an anti-Hindi movement in this land. Rajaji had imposed compulsory Hindi, but the same Rajaji later turned the tables and said no Hindi, only English forever. This is just the beginning. This agitation is symbolic in nature.

Veeramani said: It is fraud on the Constitution if you say Hindi is a national language, in response to a Twitter conversation between Ajay Devgn and Kannada actor Kiccha Sudeep. If you look at the eighth schedule, there is no such thing as a national language; instead, there are simply languages, and one of those languages is Hindi. We object to their attempt to impose the Sanskrit Aryan culture in this way. We always cut it as it assumes a new shape, like an amoeba, and we always expose and act on our feelings, he added. 

During the two-kilometer march, hundreds of people joined the demonstration.