Move to have Hindi signboards in Madurai backfires

Mar 07, 2013

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Madurai

Madurai: In a state which saw fierce anti- Hindi stir in the 1960s, the Madurai district administration has been forced to drop its latest move to have signboards in Hindi along with Tamil and English after it triggered protests.
The signboards put up in the hope of helping hundreds of tourists visiting the temple city were being removed in deference to the wishes of the people, Collector Anshul Mishra said after the move drew the ire of several local outfits.
“Respecting sentiments of our Tamil brothers and sisters, I am ready to take back my words regarding issue of trilingual boards and use of Hindi in these boards....I am here to serve people of Tamil Nadu and not to promote my mother tongue,” Mishra, who is from the North, said on social networking site Facebook.
Officials said the installation of such signboards has been interpreted by some groups like Tamil Desa Pothu Udamai Katchi, which had demonstrated over the issue this month, as promoting Hindi by Mishra.

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