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#StopHindiChauvinism cries grow louder in Karnataka

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The Union government's alleged attempt to impose Hindi on non-Hindi speaking population of the country is being stiffly opposed. Protests that began in Tamil Nadu are now slowly spreading to Karnataka. Non-Hindi speaking states have taken exception to the Union government's attempt to replace English markings and signs on national highways with Hindi.

DMK leader M K Stalin highlighted the attempt first and now Hindi markings on milestones along the highways are being defaced in an attempt to tell the Union government that Hindi cannot be imposed on those who do not speak the language and in those places that Hindi is not native to.

Protests spread to Karnataka

Protests spread to Karnataka

Milestones that had markings in Hindi were defaced in Karnataka along the Mangaluru-Bengaluru highway in protest against the imposition of Hindi language. The pictures of the same were posted on social media by commuters with the hashtag #StopHindiChauvinism and #StopHindiImposition.

Some milestones carried signs in Hindi and Kannada while other had only Hindi language markings.

#StopHindiChauvinism, #StopHindiImposition.

#StopHindiChauvinism, #StopHindiImposition.

These hashtags started trending in Tamil Nadu after M K Stalin raised the issue of the Union government trying to impose Hindi. He had threatened that another anti-Hindi movement will be initiated if the government attempted to sideline the regional language, Tamil.

It may be recalled that Tamil Nadu had exploded in protest when the Union government had earlier tried 'Hindification' by making the language compulsory in all schools. The same was withdraw owing to protests.

Image credit: @DSiddananja via Twitter

The national language debate

The national language debate

Many posts and pictures being shared on social media criticise the union government of propagating Hindi Chauvinism. Many Hindi-speaking netizens have taken offense to the same accusing those opposing Hindi of opposing India's national language.

Many seem to forget that Hindi is not THE national language of India but shares the status with 21 other languages. The argument that Hindi is the largest spoken language is also being busted with counters on social media.

Image credit: @DSiddananja via Twitter

Social media is the new debate room

Social media is the new debate room

The #StopHindiChauvinism cry is growing louder on social media with Union Ministers such as Kiren Rijiju pushing for Hindi to be accepted by all. The same is being countered by people who believe that non-speaking regions of the country also have the right to exercise their right to their mother tongues and imposition of Hindi is against the basic principles of equality.

The government is mum

The government is mum

What comes as a surprise for many is the government's silence on the protests against imposition of Hindi. Even as protests continue, English markings on milestones on highways are being quietly changed to Hindi. BJP units across the country also supporting the Union government's push for Hindi has invited the wrath of the people.

Those protesting Hindi imposition demand that they be allowed to choose the language that they want to communicate in and not be forced to accept a language that is not native to them.

Demand for lingual equality

Demand for lingual equality

While some opposing Hindi imposition by voicing their opinion on social media, others are taking to smearing black ink on Hindi language marking on signposts not just on highways but bus and rail station boards. Some have taken to the streets to propagate the idea of lingual equality.

OneIndia News

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