Netizens celebrate Tamil Nadu Day, stress on role of regional languages

One user on Twitter noted, “Tamil Nadu is a land of strong political leaders, development and culture. Over the last thousands of years, our Sangam literature has developed and become a key part of history. Today is the day we celebrate Tamil Nadu and the Tamil language, especially that of the Thirukkural, which has left a lasting impact in world literature.”

On November 1, 1956, the Madras Presidency was divided based on language, and Tamil Nadu was initially called the Madras State. On January 14, 1969, it was renamed to Tamil Nadu. Many tweeted with the hashtag #TamilNaduDay2020, and several changed their display pictures to a flag with fish, tiger, bow and arrow, and rising sun, a flag that has sparked discussions in the recent past.

“Everything is political, and so is language. We speak colloquially in Tamil but the working language is English. There is no shame in admitting that you cannot speak English, much less work in it. Over the years, people are looking down on regional languages, and this is the time to celebrate them,” said another Twitter user.

With other states in the neighbourhood like Karnataka and Kerala, too, celebrating their formation, Twitter users took to wishing people from those state. In a show of solidarity, some also highlighted the similarities in language and shared cultural traditions between several states.