Nirmala Sitharaman Recalls Struggles Learning Hindi in Tamil Nadu: ‘Mocked for Trying’
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made an emotional statement in the Lok Sabha about her experiences with the Hindi language while growing up in Tamil Nadu.
She described how, in her state, learning Hindi was treated as a crime and questioned whether discouraging people from learning Hindi was itself a form of imposition.
Her comments, made during a debate on the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, have sparked a fresh controversy regarding language policies in Tamil Nadu.
“Learning Hindi Felt Like a Crime”
Sitharaman reflected on her childhood experiences in Tamil Nadu, where she claimed the environment was hostile toward learning Hindi.
She said, “Mai aise state se aa rahi hoon, jahaan Hindi padhna gunaah lagta hai” (I hail from a state where learning Hindi is seen as an act of crime). Sharing her personal story, she revealed that she was ridiculed for trying to learn Hindi, which was often dismissed as “North India’s bhasha” (language).
The Finance Minister also mentioned being mocked both in school and on the streets for her efforts to learn Hindi and Sanskrit.
She questioned, “Is Tamil Nadu not part of India? What’s wrong with me learning Hindi?” Sitharaman also pointed out that her right to learn a language of her choice was denied, calling it an imposition.
Confrontation with Opposition MPs
The debate over Sitharaman’s Hindi skills began when an opposition MP corrected her usage of the language.
Reacting strongly, Sitharaman stated, “I can make fun of my own Hindi,” and dismissed attempts by the opposition to corner her. She accused the Tamil Nadu government, led by the DMK, of fostering “Hindi enmity” and criticized the political strategy of labeling Hindi learners as “vandheri” (outsiders).
Speaking about the term “vandheri,” she remarked, “They called us vandheri. Is this not part of a political strategy there? I speak from my lived experience. I was mocked for learning Hindi and told, ‘You live in Tamil Nadu, eat the salt of this state, but want to learn Hindi?’”
Respect for Tamil and Prime Minister Modi
While addressing the Lok Sabha, Sitharaman highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s respect for Tamil culture and language.
She said, “The only Prime Minister who has taken the Tamil language to the UN is Narendra Modi. Tell me one PM who quotes Tamil repeatedly…because he respects that language.”
She contrasted this with the DMK’s alliances with other governments, questioning whether any of their allied Prime Ministers had demonstrated such respect for Tamil.
Sitharaman emphasized that Modi’s approach encourages states to use their regional languages for higher education, supporting linguistic diversity without imposing Hindi.
A Heated Debate in Parliament
The session became contentious after Sitharaman’s remarks. Opposition MPs protested her claims, especially those relating to the state government’s language policies.
Sitharaman countered, saying that MPs from other states in the INDIA bloc do not understand Tamil Nadu’s political culture and its opposition to Hindi.
“Nobody should impose anything on anyone,” Sitharaman said. “That’s why the Prime Minister encourages every state to have its own language and pursue higher education in regional languages.”
Sitharaman’s Response to Critics
In response to being corrected on her Hindi, Sitharaman defended her linguistic abilities and questioned the opposition’s political philosophy.
She told an MP, “You are a professor. You can correct someone’s English, and you can correct someone’s Hindi, but your political philosophy may not be correct.”
When another MP challenged her, she replied, “Ask those from Tamil Nadu sitting next to you. Fight with them, not with me.”
Sitharaman reiterated that her experiences in Tamil Nadu were real and underscored how the political strategy of opposing Hindi imposition has, in some cases, discouraged individuals from learning the language altogether.
Sitharaman’s remarks in the Lok Sabha have reignited the debate on language policies in Tamil Nadu.
Her narrative sheds light on the challenges faced by individuals attempting to learn Hindi in a state with strong linguistic pride and political opposition to Hindi imposition.
While Tamil Nadu has historically resisted the central imposition of Hindi, Sitharaman’s experiences underline the complexity of balancing regional identity with linguistic freedom.
