Two Tamil Nadu Highways Department officials were suspended on Friday following a controversy over the inclusion of Hindi on a directional signboard along the Sathankulam-Nazareth State Highway in Thoothukudi district. The signboard, which displayed place names in Tamil, Hindi and English, triggered criticism after photographs and videos of it surfaced on social media. The development also led to a political uproar, with Opposition leaders questioning the inclusion of Hindi on a state highway signboard in Tamil Nadu. The signboard was installed on the Sathankulam-Nazareth route, part of State Highway 93, near the Karumeni River bridge and the Tiruchendur Road junction in the Sathankulam area.
It carried directions towards Thoothukudi, Tiruchendur, Alwarthirunagari and Tirunelveli. The names were displayed in Tamil, followed by Hindi and English, leading to questions over the use of a third language on signage maintained by the state highways authorities. The controversy intensified after images of the board circulated widely online. The use of Hindi drew objections in the state, where the government follows a two-language policy of Tamil and English. Following the backlash, the Hindi inscriptions were removed from the signboard during the intervening hours of Thursday and Friday, according to reports.
A replacement board carrying the two languages was subsequently installed at the location. The two officials suspended in connection with the issue were identified in reports as Assistant Executive Engineer N. Boominathan and Assistant Engineer T. Muthu Lakshmi, who were associated with the project. A senior State Highways official said the officials had failed to inform higher authorities about the use of Hindi on the signboard. The state government has also initiated a departmental inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the installation. The issue also drew a political response from former Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK president MK Stalin, who criticised the inclusion of Hindi and warned the state government against altering Tamil Nadu's established two-language policy.
Also Read: DMK's Udhayanidhi Stalin Urges Cadres to Counter TVK Slogan With Om Kali Chant
Stalin questioned the use of Hindi by a state government that has historically opposed what it describes as Hindi imposition by the Union government. His comments added to the political debate surrounding the signboard and the government's handling of the matter. The controversy comes against the backdrop of Tamil Nadu's long-standing language policy and recurring political debates over the place of Hindi in the state. The state has traditionally maintained Tamil and English as its official two-language framework in education and public administration, while resistance to the perceived imposition of Hindi has remained an important issue in Tamil Nadu politics.
The signboard controversy consequently attracted attention beyond the immediate administrative question of how the highway signage was prepared. State authorities have maintained that the inclusion of Hindi on the particular signboard was contrary to the state's two-language policy. The government has warned that action would be taken against officials found responsible for acts that violate the policy. The suspension of the two engineers and removal of the Hindi lettering followed the public controversy, while the departmental inquiry is expected to examine how the signage was approved and installed.
The incident has thus become a wider discussion about language use on public infrastructure in Tamil Nadu, with the immediate administrative response involving the removal of the Hindi text and suspension of the officials concerned. While Opposition parties have used the episode to question the government's approach to the state's language policy, authorities have moved to restore the signage to the Tamil-and-English format. The departmental inquiry will determine the circumstances that led to the disputed signage being installed in the first place.
Also Read: After Heavy Downpour, Moderate Rain Forecast Across 17 Tamil Nadu Districts