Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan wrote to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin asking for a separate ministry for Tamil. In a letter sent on Tuesday, July 20, to the Chief Minister, Kamal requested the state government set up the ministry to focus on the development of the Tamil language. 

Calling for a separate ministry to empower Tamil as a language, Kamal said, “It has been 17 years since Tamil was announced as a classical language by the Union government. However, we have done nothing big to ensure its growth and make it flourish. In one instance, even the Madras High Court pulled up the TN government for not taking steps to promote Tamil."

Kamal also added that in his youth, he was inspired by the Dravidian leaders and became anti-Hindi in ideology. “Later, I started acting in Hindi films. That was for business, of course. However, among all the known languages, you will not find anything as sweet as Tamil. Our duty is not over with the slogan ‘Tamil Vazhga’. We have to back it up with action,” he added. 

Kamal further said that in India most regional languages are currently endangered. 

Certification courses for Tamil 

Explaining how languages such as English, German and French and even Hindi are being promoted by institutions across the world and through certification courses, Kamal added that there was a need to establish a certification system for Tamil along with a regulated syllabus, examination system, accredited certificate, etc. 

He also added that efforts such as recognising scholars and cultural personalities, re-printing texts that are out of print, and publishing dictionaries, and translating great works of Tamil must be done in order to preserve great Tamil literature.

“We need to create more jobs for those educated in Tamil and create more seats in universities and conduct research in the language,” he further said.