'Who understands that?': Tamil Nadu minister mocks Sanskrit wedding chants
What's the story
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Minister EV Velu has questioned the Union government's financial support for Sanskrit, a language he claims is not widely understood. Speaking at an event in Vellore, Velu mocked the use of Sanskrit chants in Hindu wedding ceremonies, asking, "Who the hell even understands that?...Can two lovers confess their love in Sanskrit? They can do so in Tamil." Unlike Sanskrit, he argued that Tamil is a living language spoken by people from all walks of life.
Funding disparity
Velu slams Centre for allocating ₹2,500 crore for Sanskrit
Velu slammed the Centre for allocating ₹2,500 crore for Sanskrit development while giving only ₹167 crore to Tamil. He pointed out that Tamil Nadu is India's second-largest GST contributor but gets less funding for its classical language. "By taking our money via GST, they are using it for Sanskrit development," he said, accusing the Union government of neglecting Tamil in favor of a language spoken by a small section of society.
Cultural investment
'We need to protect our language'
The DMK minister also stressed that Tamil Nadu has been a leader in education and other fields and demanded more recognition and investment in its linguistic heritage. He said, "We need to protect our language." The remarks come after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin slammed the BJP-led Union government for allegedly favoring Sanskrit over other South Indian languages.
Funding bias
Stalin's post
Stalin had written on social media platform X, "Sanskrit gets the crores; Tamil and other South Indian languages get nothing but crocodile tears. False affection for Tamil; All money for Sanskrit!" Tamil Nadu Minister Anbil Mahesh also criticized the Centre for giving preferential treatment to Sanskrit over other classical languages, saying there is a continuous bias despite India having five other classical languages.