The Puducherry government will soon issue circulars mandating all shops and establishments to display their names in Tamil, Chief Minister N Rangasamy announced on Tuesday.
Responding to a plea by Independent legislator G Nehru alias Kuppusamy, who raised the issue during Zero Hour in the Assembly, Rangasamy assured strict enforcement of the directive. “Strict instructions will be issued through the circular, ensuring that shop owners display Tamil versions of their establishment names on signboards,” he said.
Nehru insisted that no leniency should be shown in implementing the order, urging the government to ensure strict adherence to honour the Tamil language.
The CM also announced that all invitations for government department functions will now include a Tamil version, stating, “This is out of love and respect for the Tamil language.”
Puducherry’s move comes months after the Karnataka government ordered that at least 60% of all commercial signboards must be in Kannada. The rule, enforced by the Karnataka Shops and Establishments Act, was aimed at preserving the prominence of the local language, leading to legal challenges from businesses opposing the mandate.
The decision to promote Tamil signage comes at a time when Tamil Nadu is locked in a heated debate with the Centre over the alleged imposition of Hindi. The ruling DMK has strongly opposed the three-language formula under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, accusing the Union government of pushing Hindi over regional languages. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has repeatedly rejected any move to enforce Hindi learning, asserting that Tamil must remain the primary language in the state’s education and governance.