Linguistic chauvinism in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is a state known for its tolerance and ancient culture.விருந்தோம்பல் has always been the pride of Tamils,right from ancient times.But,ever since Independence,linguistic fanatics have overtaken Tamilnadu and hijacked the ideology of the Tamils.Opposition to Hindi has been a matter of pride for politicians in Tamilnadu.They always claim that Sanskrit(Hindi) has prospered at the cost of Tamil.They even attribute(without even an ounce of evidence) the fall of the Indus-Valley civilization to the advent of Sanskrit-speaking Aryans.True,such fanatics live all over the country,but the opposition to Hindi is not as strong as it is in Tamilnadu.For the politicians in Tamilnadu,learning Hindi is blasphemous.This has reached a crescendo in the last decade.
Once Hindi was adopted as the national language of the country,school students were instigated by hardcore fanatics to protest against this logical move of the Nehru government.They ridiculously demanded that Tamil,a language spoken by less than 5% of the country's population,should be made the national language.There is no debating the point that Tamil is indeed a great language,maybe even the oldest in the world,after probably Sanskrit.But,any demand should be backed by logic and not emotion.Of course,you have the right to demand even baseless things in a democracy,but what purpose will it serve?The demand for making Tamil as the national language still goes exists,but not as ferociously as it did in those early days of Independence.....
Nowadays,it is more about the oppression of other languages within the state.By a systematic approach,Hindi has been cunningly excluded from the Tamil Nadu state board syllabus.Right from the start,Tamil Nadu has always differed from other states in its educational policy.While all other states in the country adopted a 3-language policy while TN went for a 2-language one.English,thankfully,was compulsory,while matriculation students had the option of learning either Tamil or Hindi.Under the state board syllabus,Tamil was the compulsory medium of instruction while English was the mandatory 2nd language.There was no room for Hindi-the absence of the opportunity to learn a 3rd language took care of that.
Anyway,there were few takers for the state board medium of education as most parents opted to enroll their children in the CBSE or Matric stream of education.in CBSE,Hindi was  compulsory(it still is).The Tamil Nadu government recently decided to merge the matric and state board streams of education.When it did so,it conveniently excluded Hindi from the list of subjects which one could study.At present,there is no option for a student coming under the state board scheme,but to study Tamil.This is the case with many more states across India(in the state-sponsored boards,at least).This is indeed,welcome.But,one cant study Hindi,even if he wants to.I didn't call this as a cunning move for nothing.
It cuts off the student from the national language-Hindi-the language spoken by an over whelming majority in the country.The purpose of school education is to provide children with the necessary knowledge to prepare them for future challenges.Sadly,TN politicians use education as a tool for furthering their own divisive,narrow minded ideology.One look at the Tamil text books and you get a fair idea of their crooked ideas.Agreed,they don't tare Hindi to shreds,but they brainwash the students that Tamil is the only language worth knowing.Of course,language is a matter of choice,but you are actually denied the opportunity to pick your choice........
The recent decision of the Tamil Nadu govt. to exclude Hindi imposes problems of alarming proportions to not only State board students but also to students who study under the CBSE stream in Tamil nadu.For one,it eliminates the possibility of student transfer from  CBSE to state board if the student opts for Hindi,as one can no longer learn the national language under the state board scheme.Thus,even if a parent were to opt for the more advanced CBSE,he(or she) would think twice before having her child learn Hindi.I have not seen any such state where not knowing the national language is considered as a matter of pride,rather than a handicap.Moreover,just spare a thought for the Hindi-speaking minority that lives in Tamil Nadu.Isn't it natural for each and every soul to have a desire to learn his/her mother tongue ?The same CM who moots for Tamil education in Maharashtra has outlawed Hindi in his own state.We are faced with a possibility that in another 50 years or so,every body sings the national anthem(in hindi),but no one in the state knows the meaning.
There is significant opposition to English,though not as strong as there is for Hindi.Just watch மக்கள் TV if you want any proof.There is significant support for the demand that tamil alone should be used in the Madras High court.The government has announced that first preference to jobs would be given to those who study in Tamil.The government's agenda is clear-the more isolated you are from the external world,the more you shall be rewarded.The introduction of Tamil-medium Engineering syllabus supports this point.The same government which supports the introduction Tamil in universities the world over wants to create a linguistic void in its state.
It would do well to recollect Bharathiar's(whose footsteps it claims to follow) famous verse
"சென்றிடுவீர் எட்டுத்திக்கும் கலைச்செல்வங்கள்
யாவும் கொணர்ந்து சேர்ப்பீர்"