‘Girls educated in south, slaves in north’: Dayanidhi Maran ignites language row
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Chennai: DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran sparked a fresh controversy by claiming that girls from northern states, educated only in Hindi and denied English, end up as "slaves" when migrating south for work. His remarks, linking language policies to unemployment and migration, drew sharp backlash from the BJP.
Speaking at an event, Maran criticized certain states for discouraging English education and pushing Hindi-only learning. "You are asked not to study English and are told you will be ruined if you do. You will be kept as slaves," he said. He credited Tamil Nadu's Dravidian model for promoting equal education access for boys and girls, driving economic growth and attracting global companies. "Today, all the top global companies are coming to Tamil Nadu because of educated people," Maran asserted.
BJP leader Thirupathy Narayanan condemned the comments as lacking "common sense."I strongly condemn his remarks, and he must apologise to the people of India, especially those who speak Hindi, whom he has portrayed as uneducated and uncivilised," Narayanan told ANI.
Defending Maran, DMK leader TKS Elangovan highlighted Tamil Nadu's record on women's empowerment through education, jobs, and reservations. He contrasted this with other regions, adding, "there is nobody to fight for women in the north," while praising Congress-ruled states for similar progress.
The exchange reignites the long-standing debate over Hindi imposition and regional language policies.
