'Not fluent in Tamil is an insult': Actor Dhanush pushes for mother tongue first

NEW DELHI: Actor Dhanush has renewed the focus on the language debate with his remarks stressing the importance of learning Tamil and being "fluent in one's mother tongue."Speaking at an event, the actor strongly backed the Tamil language and urged people to prioritise fluency in their mother tongue.Recalling his school days, Dhanush said, "When I was in school, we were fluent in Tamil and we struggled with English. Now the situation is opposite."He added, "Now, out of the 10 people I meet, eight don't know Tamil. One should be fluent in their mother tongue before everything else. To say I'm not fluent in Tamil is not a matter of pride. It's an insult. Focus on learning Tamil language."His remarks come amid the long-running language debate in Tamil Nadu, where the issue has frequently put the state government at odds with the Centre. Leaders across the state's political spectrum, from DMK chief and former CM MK Stalin to TVK founder and CM Vijay, have repeatedly accused the Centre of attempting to impose Hindi on southern states.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.