Puducherry shops, establishments must display names in Tamil: CM Rangasamy
What's the story
Puducherry CM N Rangasamy has announced that the government will issue circulars making it compulsory for all shops and establishments to display their names in Tamil. The announcement came in response to Independent member G Nehru alias Kuppusamy's request to honor the Tamil language during Zero Hour in the Assembly. The CM said, "Strict instructions will be issued through the circular, ensuring that shop owners display Tamil versions of their establishment names on signboards."
Official invitations
Government invitations to include Tamil versions
Apart from circulars for shops, Rangasamy also announced that all invitations to government functions will now have a Tamil version. "This is out of love and respect for the Tamil language." This instruction comes amid ongoing language tensions in South India, particularly around the National Education Policy's three-language formula, which many have interpreted as an attempt to impose Hindi.
Stalin
Tamil Nadu replaced the rupee symbol in state budget
The issue worsened last week after Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin replaced the rupee symbol ( ₹) with the Tamil alphabet (Ru) for the logo of the state budget 2025-26. He justified his government's decision, saying it was intended to underscore the state's commitment to the two-language policy. "We had the "Ru" to show how determined we are in the language policy. But those who don't like Tamil made it big news," Stalin had said.