'Few friends want to create division based on language' Pradhan takes veiled dig at Stalin

    Varanasi (UP), Dec 2 (PTI) In a veiled dig at DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday said a “few friends” in the southern state want to create a division based on language due to their parochial political interests.
    Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the Kashi-Tamil Sangamam 4.0 here, Pradhan said the event has become a public movement today, and people, not just in Tamil Nadu and Kashi but elsewhere too, eagerly await its new edition.
    Without naming Stalin, Pradhan said, “Few friends in Tamil Nadu, due to their parochial political interests, want to create a division based on language.
    “With utmost politeness, every year I write to the honourable chief minister of Tamil Nadu to come here for the inauguration of the Kashi-Tamil Sangamam. You can see how my young friends from Tamil Nadu are celebrating civilisation, which has no boundary.”
    Pradhan also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has categorically said that just like Sanskrit, Tamil is also a primary language of human civilisation.
    “There is no barrier between languages, but vested interests have created a rift between them. I once again extend my invitation to the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, esteemed Mr Stalin, to visit the Kashi-Tamil Sangamam,” Pradhan said.
    Citing Agastya the sage, Pradhan said he went from the Himalayas to Tamil Nadu and became the pioneer of Tamil grammar and Siddha medicine.
    “This is the bond. You cannot create an artificial divide or barriers. You may succeed in your politics, but you cannot divide the society,” Pradhan said.
    “The prime minister says that all Indian languages are national languages. It is not a mere speech; it is a commitment. Today, we strongly believe that multilingualism is our strength,” he added.
    Pradhan also said that a knowledge bridge has been created between Kashi and Tamil Nadu under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
    “This is a holy city, a city of knowledge. There is a centuries-old bond between these two parts (Kashi and Tamil Nadu) of the Indian civilisation. If you go to any temple in Tamil Nadu, you will find many Kashi Vishwanath ‘vigrahs'. Pilgrimage started from both sides centuries ago,” Pradhan said.
    “There is a special place for Rameshwaram in this part of the country. Similarly, in the south, especially in Tamil Nadu, Kashi Vishwanath has a special place. This is the uniqueness of our civilisation, our diversity. Diversity is our strength,” he added.
    Earlier in a post on X, Pradhan said, “Envisioned by Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji, @KTSangamam celebrates the oneness of India’s culture and the enduring bond between Tamil Nadu and Kashi. Come, let’s celebrate the richness of our cultures!
     “Let’s reweave the bonds that shaped India’s cultural, spiritual and intellectual landscape for generations! Let’s strengthen the idea of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat!”
    The Kashi-Tamil Sangamam 4.0 began on Tuesday, carrying forward the cultural and civilisational link between Tamil Nadu and Kashi.
    The fourth edition of the event is anchored around the theme ‘Let us learn Tamil – Tamil Karkalam’, placing Tamil language and linguistic unity at the centre of the Sangamam, an official statement said.
    The key programmes include ‘Tamil Karkalam’ (Tamil teaching in Varanasi schools), ‘Tamil Karpom’ (Tamil learning tours for 300 students from Kashi), and the ‘Sage Agastya Vehicle Expedition’ (tracing the civilisational route from Tenkasi to Kashi).
    The event will conclude with a valedictory function at Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, symbolically completing the cultural arc from Kashi to the southern state, the statement said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)