Tamil Nadu Agriculture Minister MRK Panneerselvam created a row with comments linking migrant workers in the northern state to menial jobs and rekindling the Hindi-versus-regional language debate weeks before assembly elections by defending the state’s dual-language policy.
MRK Panneerselvam says that people from North India have limited job opportunities in Tamil Nadu because they have only learned Hindi. (Instagram/@mrk.panneerselvam)Speaking at a public event, Panneerselvam said that people from the north who “learn only Hindi” have limited job opportunities in Tamil Nadu and often end up in low-paying roles, while students from the state benefit from learning Tamil and English.
“Those from the north are coming to Tamil Nadu to clean tables… they are coming here to work as construction workers, panipuri vendors, because they have only learned Hindi,” the minister said. In contrast, he adds, “Our children have gone abroad… because we follow the bilingual policy and learn English well. They are going abroad and getting opportunities to earn crores… in the United States, in London.”
His comments drew swift criticism from opposition leaders and parties outside the state, who called them insensitive and divisive.
In response to the backlash, leaders of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) attempted damage control. Party spokesperson Dr Syed Hafizullah said that “every legal work has dignity” and stressed that the party was not against Hindi speakers or their work. He reframed the minister’s remarks to defend Tamil Nadu’s dual-language policy and emphasize English for global opportunities.
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“The dual-language policy has helped Tamil Nadu and its people. English has given people development and global opportunities. Without this preference for English, the people of the Hindi-speaking state have not been able to develop in education,” he said.
DMK Lok Sabha MP TR Balu claimed the minister had been misquoted and said there was no intention to do anything derogatory against north Indians, while reiterating the state’s longstanding opposition to “Hindi imposition”.
The controversy has also sparked reactions from other quarters. Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said Tamil Nadu’s economy depends significantly on migrant labor from other states and such workers are welcome and safe in the state, calling the comment “irresponsible”.
Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad described the statement as an insult to North Indians and condemned it, while JD(U) MP Sanjay Jha said that the people of northern states have contributed strongly to economic growth wherever they have worked across the country.
The row comes amid renewed debate over the language policy under the National Education Policy and the Centre’s three-language formula, which Tamil Nadu has repeatedly opposed, alleging that it opens the door to the imposition of Hindi. The State continues to follow the policy of two languages - Tamil and English in government schools
At a recent summit, Tamil Nadu’s Industries Minister TRB Raja said that the state government does not oppose Hindi-speaking people but maintains the responsibility to protect and promote Tamil, noting that large foreign communities also live and work in the state without linguistic conflict.
