Makkal Iyakkam launches postcard campaign in Coimbatore, demanding 3000 crore allocation for Tamil language development over five years. Protesters criticize disproportionate funding for Sanskrit, urge support for Tamil's global reach.
Coimbatore: The Marumalarchi Makkal Iyakkam (Renaissance People's Movement) launched a postcard campaign in Coimbatore, demanding a 3000 crore fund allocation for Tamil language development over the next five years. The protest, which aims to send 10,000 postcards to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, kicked off with the distribution of pamphlets to the public and bus passengers near the Coimbatore District Collector's office.
Following the pamphlet distribution, activists collected signatures from the public and sent 1000 postcards to Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the nearby post office. The campaign highlights the need for increased funding to promote and develop the Tamil language.
Eswaran, the leader of Marumalarchi Makkal Iyakkam, stated, "In the past ten years, 61% of the funds allocated by the Indian government for language development has gone to Sanskrit, which is the mother tongue of only 25,000 people. The government is attempting to transform India into a Sanskrit-speaking nation within the next 50 years, neglecting all other Indian languages. We strongly condemn this approach."
He further added, "We demand that in the next five years, the allocation for Tamil should exceed that of Sanskrit. This funding should be used to promote Tamil globally." Eswaran emphasized the importance of preserving and promoting Tamil, which has a rich literary heritage and millions of speakers worldwide.
The Marumalarchi Makkal Iyakkam plans to extend their campaign to colleges, collecting signatures from students and continuing to send postcards to the Prime Minister. This initiative aims to draw attention to the perceived imbalance in language funding and advocate for greater support for Tamil language development.
The protest highlights the ongoing debate about language policies in India and the importance of equitable support for all regional languages. As the campaign progresses, it remains to be seen how the central government will respond to these demands for increased funding for Tamil language development.
Following the pamphlet distribution, activists collected signatures from the public and sent 1000 postcards to Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the nearby post office. The campaign highlights the need for increased funding to promote and develop the Tamil language.
Eswaran, the leader of Marumalarchi Makkal Iyakkam, stated, "In the past ten years, 61% of the funds allocated by the Indian government for language development has gone to Sanskrit, which is the mother tongue of only 25,000 people. The government is attempting to transform India into a Sanskrit-speaking nation within the next 50 years, neglecting all other Indian languages. We strongly condemn this approach."
He further added, "We demand that in the next five years, the allocation for Tamil should exceed that of Sanskrit. This funding should be used to promote Tamil globally." Eswaran emphasized the importance of preserving and promoting Tamil, which has a rich literary heritage and millions of speakers worldwide.
The Marumalarchi Makkal Iyakkam plans to extend their campaign to colleges, collecting signatures from students and continuing to send postcards to the Prime Minister. This initiative aims to draw attention to the perceived imbalance in language funding and advocate for greater support for Tamil language development.
The protest highlights the ongoing debate about language policies in India and the importance of equitable support for all regional languages. As the campaign progresses, it remains to be seen how the central government will respond to these demands for increased funding for Tamil language development.