Hindi imposition: Karunanidhi cautions Centre

Chennai, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK chief M Karunanidhi today cautioned the Centre against reported moves to impose Hindi.

Referring to newspaper reports that nationalised Syndicate Bank had announced that only candidates who had studied Hindi at the high school level were eligible to apply for clerical posts in the bank, he said the DPI, a Dalit outfit, had already announced an agitation against the move.

DPI leader Thol Thirumavalavan had alleged that Syndicate Bank was one of the first nationalised banks to have made Hindi mandatory for recruitment. He had said the bank had announced that candidates who were coming to the interview for clerical posts should bring high school marksheets as a proof of studying Hindi as a subject at school level.

The DMK leader said 'a small spark can become a big fire'.

Recalling that he started his political career at the age of 14 participating in a protest against imposition of Hindi, he said, "I continue to have the same spirit even if I am 84 now."

Karunanidhi was presiding over the 100th day celebration `Periyar', a Tamil film produced by the Dravidar Kazhagam, portraying the life of social reformer E V R Periyar.

Commending his party leaders and workers for their efforts for the film's success, he said it would have been a shame if the film had not met with success. Periyar had toiled hard throughout his life and sacrificed everything so that Tamil could live with dignity, he said.