'Maharashtrians are facing a dual battle -- numerical battle with North Indians and financial battle with Gujaratis and Marwaris.' 'This has created anxiety about survival and ownership over Mumbai and Maharashtra.'
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has reiterated the state's opposition to Hindi imposition by the Centre, calling it a 'mask' for Sanskrit. He also claimed that the National Education Policy (NEP) is being used to promote Sanskrit in many states, and that the Centre is trying to do away with languages like Tamil and impose Sanskrit. Stalin's statement comes amid growing concerns over the alleged imposition of Hindi in non-Hindi speaking states.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M K Stalin said on Wednesday that the DMK will not oppose Hindi if it is not "imposed" on Tamil Nadu, stating that forcing the language on Tamils amounts to playing with their self-respect. Stalin's remarks come amidst an intense language row in the state, with the DMK alleging that the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre was trying to impose Hindi through the three-language formula in the National Education Policy (NEP), a charge denied by the union government.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday slammed his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath over the language row, calling his remarks "political black comedy." Stalin said his state was not opposing a language, but its "imposition and chauvinism." He also claimed that Tamil Nadu's voice on the two language policy and fair delimitation "is echoing nationwideand the BJP is clearly rattled." Stalin was reacting to Yogi's reported allegations that the DMK government was indulging in divisive tactics by using language issue. BJP state president K Annamalai hit back at Stalin, claiming the DMK leader owns private schools that teach three languages but opposes the same policy for government school students in Tamil Nadu.
The Rajya Sabha MP said the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test has prevented access to medical education for so many children and the strength to change that rule of exam could emerge only from education.
Shahid losing his memory, Nicole losing her mind, Mufasa holding on to both, only on OTT this week.
'After the first Kantara, when they announced the second one, I kind of knew he will call me. I had this instinct. Then he called me at midnight and I didn't pick up. I was like, I'm not talking to anybody at 12 at night. The following day, I called and we chatted. He said, I have to narrate you something. I said, I know, it's Kantara!'
'Modi's charisma may have weakened as last year's Lok Sabha poll results showed but in the eyes of the Sangh Parivar, it has not waned.' 'Minus a strong BJP government at the Centre for another decade and more, there is apprehension that an anti-Hindutva government could reverse many of the ideological gains that the Modi dispensation has achieved through its three terms,' points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
'Government officials use Gmail and ordinary phones without basic security consciousness.' 'Interoperability, especially in joint exercises with countries like the US, worries me.' 'It often means we open our systems to them, but they don't reciprocate.' 'They could have kill switches in their systems and might even be able to affect ours.'
Tamil-speaking ministers assured that the draft will be reviewed before implementation.
Tamil Nadu is set to protest against the National Education Policy (NEP) on February 18, with the ruling DMK and its allies announcing a demonstration. The state government has been at odds with the Centre over the implementation of the NEP and the three-language formula proposed in the policy. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan dismissed the state's opposition as "politics" and asserted that the Centre is committed to implementing the NEP across the country. The DMK, however, accused the Centre of encroaching on the state's rights and using the office of the Governor to push the NEP.
'If delimitation is not handled well by the Centre, the southern states are certainly going to challenge it.'
The biggest hit of 2025 arrives on OTT this week, along with many other highs and horrors.
'Every film had its challenges, but Mr India, Sadak and Gandhi were the toughest.' 'Mr India needed imagination, Sadak needed sensitivity and Gandhi demanded historical authenticity.'
BJP-ruled states argued in the Supreme Court that governors and the President have autonomy in assenting to bills passed by state assemblies, asserting that courts cannot mandate assent.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD's Tejashwi Yadav for alleged abuses directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mother during a political rally in Bihar. The BJP accused the opposition leaders of crossing 'limits of insult' with their remarks.
A Bob Dylan biopic, Mohanlal's vendetta, super serious Suriya and more on OTT this week.
Kamal Haasan starrer Thug Life will not be released in Karnataka on June 5, the scheduled date for the pan-India release of the much-anticipated movie, its producers informed the Karnataka high court on Tuesday.
Like his father Karunanidhi and AIADMK rivals MGR and Jayalalithaa, Stalin would like to confine his real political work to Tamil Nadu, and not want to take after the late Congress leader K Kamaraj and take up a national role, even if to create greater political space for son Udhayanidhi, points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
'We already understand Hindi -- through Bollywood, TV, pop culture.' 'But we never forced it on ourselves.' 'When something is imposed, the joy and organic nature of learning disappears.'
'We are not opposed to any Indian language. We are against Hindi imposition.'
Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) said on Thursday that it will not allow the release of Kamal Haasan's film Thug Life in Karnataka unless he issues a public apology by May 30 for his controversial remark about the Kannada language.
Actor Kamal Haasan has sparked outrage in Karnataka after he said "Tamil gave birth to Kannada" at an event in Chennai. Pro-Kannada groups have staged protests across the state, demanding an apology from the actor. They have also threatened to disrupt screenings of his upcoming film "Thug Life" in Karnataka. The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce is also set to discuss a possible ban on the actor.
Uddhav Thackeray criticized BJP MP Nishikant Dubey for his controversial remarks amid the Marathi-Hindi language row, accusing him of trying to divide people and disturb harmony.
Kamal Haasan stoked a controversy during the audio launch event for his film Thug Life in Chennai, by remarking that Kannada was born out of Tamil.
Lights, camera, ACTION, you'll find them in heaps on OTT this week. Sukanya Verma lists some interesting options.
'If I had the chance now, I would have continued acting.' 'The cultures of Maharashtra and Bengal are different and I felt I had to give my best to be a good daughter-in-law and an ideal wife.' 'I never thought I could balance both.'
The Maharashtra government has reversed its decision to make Hindi a mandatory third language in schools after facing widespread opposition. The move comes after the state's language consultation committee urged the Chief Minister to revoke the decision. The government will now issue a revised order making Hindi learning voluntary. The decision had been met with criticism from various quarters, including opposition parties and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, which had called for a protest against the move.
Shakti Dubey has topped the civil services examination 2024, with Harshita Goyal and Dongre Archit Parag getting the second and third ranks, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) announced on Tuesday. The top five successful candidates comprise three women and two men. The civil services examination is conducted annually in three stages -- preliminary, main and interview -- by the UPSC to select officers of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) among others. A total of 1,009 candidates -- 725 men and 284 women -- have been recommended by the UPSC for appointment to various services.
In addition to Hindi and English, the question paper will be set in 13 regional languages -- Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Odia, Urdu, Punjabi, Manipuri and Konkani.
There is no guarantee that if we speak in only Indian languages, all our faults will be washed away and India will shine. Why then do they bully and belittle the English-speaking? asks Shyam G Menon.
There's room for all kinds on OTT this week, as Sukanya Verma tells us.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has emphasized the importance of learning in one's mother tongue, arguing that it is key to achieving excellence and that a misconception exists regarding the necessity of English language proficiency for knowledge acquisition. Addressing the Assembly, Naidu asserted that knowledge is not dependent on language and that individuals who study in their mother tongue excel globally. He stressed the importance of learning multiple languages while preserving one's mother tongue, and urged against unnecessary political debates surrounding language.
With the eagerly awaited Pushpa 2: The Rule set for release in December, there's a chance the industry could match, if not surpass, the collections of 2023.
Action, romance, comedy, it's raining masala entertainment on OTT this week.
One Rajya Sabha seat is a small price to pay for all the skills that Kamal Haasan brings to the table, points out Aditi Phadnis.
'In my 26 years at Raj Bhavan, working with more than ten governors, I can tell you C P Radhakrishnan Sir stands out.'
While acknowledging that they needed strong allies for a chance in the assembly polls, AIADMK cadres seemingly prefer actor-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam to the BJP, owing to the latter's 'communal agenda' and consequent hardline Hindutva image, explains N Sathiya Moorthy.
MNS chief Raj Thackeray alleges the state government's three-language formula is a precursor to separating Mumbai from Maharashtra, speaking at a rally with Uddhav Thackeray.
'Nobody is telling you not to speak or learn your mother tongue. But making other languages an emotional issue is wrong.'
