Chennai : Tamil Nadu Minister EV Velu on Friday mimicked Sanskrit verses typically recited during Hindu wedding ceremonies and questioned why the language, which he claimed is barely understood by common people, receives heavy financial backing from the Union government.
The Minister was speaking at a public event in Vellore, where he criticised the Centre for allocating Rs 2,500 crore for Sanskrit development while providing only Rs 167 crore for Tamil. By taking our money via GST, they are using it for Sanskrit development. Does anyone even understand Sanskrit? We can say I love you in Tamil. If you go to a marriage function, they speak in Sanskrit. Who the hell even understands that? Velu said.
Why spend Rs 2,500 crore for development of Sanskrit language that no one understands? Velu asked, accusing the Union government of neglecting Tamil while favouring a language spoken by a limited section of society. He further remarked that Tamil Nadu has consistently led the country in education and other fields, and deserved better recognition and investment in its linguistic and cultural heritage. “We need to protect our language,” he said.
Last month, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin criticised the BJP-led Union government over its alleged bias in language funding, accusing it of favouring Sanskrit while neglecting Tamil and other South Indian languages. Tamil Nadu Minister Anbil Mahesh had also criticised the central government for what he described as preferential treatment of Sanskrit over other classical languages, he had said.
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