Railway sends SMS in Hindi, riles parties in TN

CHENNAI: A fresh controversy has erupted as passengers booking online train tickets with IRCTC were getting SMS in Hindi language, with the principal Opposition DMK accusing the Centre of trying to impose Hindi in Tamil Nadu through ‘insidious’ means.

A complaint was also sent to the IRCTC in this regard and the Centre was urged not to impose Hindi in non-Hindi speaking states. DMK Parliamentary party leader T R Baalu on Sunday wrote to Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal asking him to instruct Southern Railway (SR) officials to restore the practice of sending ticket reservation related SMSes to passengers in English.

Condemning a reported incident of a passenger receiving ticket reservation SMS in Hindi, instead of English, Baalu, in his letter, said the people would not be able to understand the information if the SMS is in Hindi and it causes unnecessary hardship to ordinary people.

Accusing the Centre, DMK Central Chennai MP Dayanidhi Maran and South Chennai MP Dr Thamizhachi Thangapandian took to twitter to condemn it and urged the Railway Ministry to stop Hindi imposition.

Maran tweeted ‘’Why is Hindi being repeatedly thrusted upon the people of Tamil Nadu by the Railway Ministry?’’.

Thangapandian, in a series of tweets, said Indian constitution recognises 23 languages as its official language. ‘’But IRCTC official is still imposing Hindi on train passengers who book tickets through its website via its ticket booking services’’, she said.

PMK Founder Dr S Ramadoss also condemned the Centre’s attempt to impose Hindi in the State. In a tweet, he said the Official Language Act 1976 was not applicable to Tamil Nadu. He said all the Centre-related announcements should be made only in Tamil and English.

Meanwhile, DMK Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi cautioned that if the Centre continue in its efforts to impose Hindi it would face the consequences.