CHENNAI: In a move seen as an effort to reach out to north Indian residents in his Harbour Assembly constituency, HR&CE Minister PK Sekarbabu on Sunday extended Deepavali greetings in Hindi, addressing a gathering of migrant families.
The gesture comes at a time when the DMK government faces criticism from the BJP for allegedly not extending festival greetings to Hindus in the past.
Speaking at an event organised by the Chennai east DMK unit at Raja Annamalai Mandram in George Town, Sekarbabu distributed Deepavali gifts to over 800 north Indian families living in the Harbour constituency. Greeting the audience with a cheerful “Namaskar, Aajaao Aajaao”, the minister’s Hindi address drew applause.
“Even if our languages and cultures differ, we are all children of the same mother,” he said, highlighting the Dravidian model of governance's message of inclusivity.
Lauding the contribution of north Indian traders to Chennai’s economy, he remarked, “If Coimbatore is called the Manchester of South India, Sowcarpet is undoubtedly the Manchester of Tamil Nadu.”
Referring to the participation of a north Indian woman on the dais, Sekarbabu said, “In which other State would a north Indian woman be invited to sit on stage during a party event? This is the true essence of the Dravidian model of governance.”
While reiterating that the DMK was not against learning Hindi, he maintained that the party opposed its imposition, asserting that Tamil Nadu remained the safest and most welcoming State for migrant workers.