Guru Utsav or Teachers Day: BJP's TN allies slam Modi move for renaming

Chennai: Two of BJP’s Tamil Nadu allies, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), on Monday opposed naming Teacher’s Day as ‘Guru Utsav’, with PMK terming it as a discreet attempt to impose Sanskrit.

Leaders of PMK S Ramadoss and MDMK chief Vaiko demanded that the Centre should immediately withdraw the order to rename Teachers’ Day as ‘Guru Utsav.’ While welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to interact with students on September 5, coinciding with Teachers’ Day, Ramadoss however opposed the day being called as ‘Guru Utsav.’

“It is not proper for the central government to have changed the name as Guru Utsav. This is a discreet attempt to impose Sanskrit, which is not acceptable,” Ramadoss, who besides Vaiko had opposed the Sanskrit Week celebrations in CBSE schools recently, said in a statement.

Vaiko also welcomed Modi’s initiative to interact with students, but said it was “strongly condemnable” that the Union HRD Minister had renamed Teachers’ Day as ‘Guru Utsav.’

“The central government should realise that national integration will be strengthened only if the identities of various languages and cultures are promoted,” he said. DMK chief M Karunanidhi had already opposed the move, alleging that it was a conspiracy to downgrade Tamil language and society.

PTI