Stop Crying, At Least Sign in Tamil! PM Modi's DMK Jibe At Rameshwaram
PM Modi Takes Swipe at Stalin, Pushes for Tamil Pride in Rameswaram Address
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while inaugurating the New Pamban Bridge in Rameswaram on Sunday, April 6, 2025, took a pointed dig at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin amid the ongoing language debate.
Speaking on Ram Navami, Modi expressed surprise that letters from Tamil Nadu ministers, including Stalin, lack Tamil signatures, urging them to embrace their linguistic pride. “The Government is constantly working to ensure that the Tamil language and Tamil heritage reach every corner of the world. Sometimes, I am surprised when I receive letters from some leaders of Tamil Nadu; none of them are signed in the Tamil language.
If you are proud of Tamil, then I would request everyone at least sign your name in Tamil,” Modi said.
The remark underscores Modi’s broader pitch for Tamil, including his call for medical education in the mother tongue to benefit the poor. The New Pamban Bridge, India’s first vertical lift railway sea bridge, was part of over Rs 8,300 crore in projects dedicated that day.
The language jab reignites a sensitive issue in Tamil Nadu, where resistance to Hindi imposition—rooted in the Dravidian movement’s legacy—remains fierce. Stalin’s DMK has long championed Tamil identity, yet Modi’s critique subtly challenges their consistency, amplifying the Centre-state linguistic tussle.
