Remove Hindi banners from Ooty station, Raja writes to Ashwini Vaishnaw

COIMBATORE: DMK deputy general secretary A Raja urged railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to remove Hindi banners at Udhagamandalam railway station in Tamil Nadu. The Nilgiris MP also pointed out in the letter sent on Sunday that a verse attributed to Madan Mohan Malaviya belonged to Tamil poet Mahakavi Bharathi. The verse calls upon people to travel in all directions and bring literary works back home.

Raja said increasing use and prominence of Hindi in railway stations had stirred "widespread attention and protest". He added that Tamil Nadu had a long and proud history of linguistic identity and cultural autonomy.

The state's people, he noted, had consistently advocated for a two-language policy, in line with regional needs and historical context.

"The recent developments at Udhagamandalam railway station are seen as a case of linguistic imposition. Promoting Hindi in public spaces feels disconnected from the linguistic needs of the local population and is viewed as a political assertion," he said in the letter.

Sharing the letter on social media, the Nilgiris MP said Tamil Nadu would not accept Hindi imposition.

"The use of Hindi in Indian railway stations is increasing day by day. The banners installed in Hindi at the 100-year-old Udhagamandalam railway station are hurting the sentiments of Tamil people. I request the relevant authorities to immediately remove them," he said on X.

"The banners in Hindi have hurt sentiments of Tamil people," he said, urging the rail minister to respect the linguistic sentiments of the state's people and avoid compulsory inclusion of Hindi where it was not contextually necessary.