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Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Friday, November 21, described Sanskrit as a “dead language” while criticising the Union government’s language policies and funding priorities. He pointed out that the Centre had allocated only Rs 50 crore for Tamil development, compared to Rs 2,400 crore for Sanskrit.
Speaking at a book launch event in Chennai, Udhayanidhi questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to Tamil. “You act like you care for the Tamil language. On the other hand, you impose Hindi and Sanskrit on our students because you don't want them to study Tamil. How is this fair?” he asked.
He said the disparity in funding was unjust to Tamil speakers and urged the public to “question this injustice” in the 2026 elections.
Responding to his remarks, Tamilisai Soundararajan, BJP leader and former Governor, said no one has the right to call any language dead, especially one still used widely for prayers and rituals across the country. She added that it was wrong to praise one language by disparaging another. “Leaders must be more responsible when they speak about language and culture,” she said.
Tamilisai also noted that Tamil has absorbed many Sanskrit words over time, calling it a reflection of the language’s openness. “Tamil is an open-hearted language that has embraced words and ideas from many others, including Sanskrit. This shows its strength, not its weakness,” she said.