Chennai: A controversy over Hindi imposition erupted Wednesday in Tamil Nadu as Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leaders and workers protested against a Hindi sign reading ‘Kartavya Dwar’ at the entrance of the Tiruchirappalli divisional railway office.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin sharply criticised the Union government, dubbing the move as “shameful madness” and accusing it of forcing Hindi name alongside Tamil and English under a “one language, three fonts” policy. He mentioned that already the name ‘Bhavishya Nidhi Bhavan’ is mentioned on the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) offices in Tamil Nadu.
“They are also writing the Sanskrit name in English fonts for criminal laws. The name of the Union Water Resources Ministry has become ‘Jal Shakti’. The arrogance of BJP is increasing. We need to teach these people who are trying to undermine the self-respect of Tamils a proper lesson,” Stalin wrote originally in Tamil on ‘X’.
“The attempt to impose Hindi on Tamil and English names should be abandoned and proper Tamil names should be included immediately.”
பா.ஜ.க. அரசின் இந்தித் திணிப்பு: நுழைவு வாயிலிலேயே வாயில் நுழையாத பெயர்!
இந்தித் திணிப்பு வெறியில் எல்லை மீறிச் சென்று கொண்டிருக்கிறது பா.ஜ.க.!
'மொழி ஒன்று – வரிவடிவம் மூன்று' எனும் வகையில் இந்திப் பெயரையே தமிழ், ஆங்கிலத்திலும் எழுதி வைக்கும் இழிவான #HindiImposition செயலில்… pic.twitter.com/rJdLSyyQsc
— M.K.Stalin – தமிழ்நாட்டை தலைகுனிய விடமாட்டேன் (@mkstalin) March 4, 2026
As the DMK workers blackened the board in protest, the opposition and BJP leaders called it merely a ‘mistake’ and not an act of Hindi imposition. Railway officials promised to replace the board with a Tamil version, respecting local sentiments amid upcoming assembly elections.
DMK Rajya Sabha MP P. Wilson told ThePrint that such acts are clearly Hindi imposition, adding that the party cadres are justified in defacing the board.
“There is a resolution in the Assembly that the state will adopt a two-language formula and everyone knows that the State keeps away Hindi in the implementation of the language policies. They should know that when in Rome, behave like Romans,” he said.
Calling it an official error, BJP’s Tamilisai Soundararajan urged Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for immediate correction. She requested Vaishnaw to issue appropriate instructions to the Southern Railways for the rectification of the mistakes immediately. “For the mistakes done by some officials, the central government is unnecessarily blamed as trying to impose Hindi in Tamil Nadu.”
With the assembly elections looming large, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) recognises that language disputes could erode their vote bank.
Reacting to the issue, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami said that the names written in Hindi would be removed.
“In the Central Government institutions in Tamil Nadu, where names are typically indicated in Tamil, English, and Hindi, the Tamil reference on this gate’s name has been engraved solely as the Hindi word, without the appropriate translation,” he stated. “Railway officials have reportedly agreed to remove the Hindi name at present.”
Railway officials confirmed to ThePrint that the board placed in the Divisional Railway Manager’s office entrance in Trichy will be changed. “We respect the sentiments of the people of Tamil People and the name board will be translated into Tamil, instead of keeping the name in Hindi,” an official from the Trichy Division said.
The AIADMK allies also opposed the move and called for removal of the board at the Railway office.
Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazagam (AMMK) general secretary TTV Dhinakaran also urged the railway officials to rectify the name plate and that the railway department and the Union government should issue appropriate instructions to prevent such errors from occurring in the future.
“The office is visited daily by people and a large number of train passengers, and the name board should be written in a way that everyone can understand, and writing it exclusively in Hindi is in no way acceptable,” Dhinakaran said.
(Edited by Tony Rai)