DMK MP says only Hindi publications found at Chennai airport lounge, sparks row

CHENNAI: DMK’s Rajya Sabha MP Wilson on Monday accused the Union government of covertly imposing Hindi at the Chennai airport by stocking only Hindi magazines and books in the domestic passenger lounge, with no Tamil or other regional language publications available.

Wilson, who was at the passenger lounge in the domestic terminal before boarding a flight to Delhi, reportedly found only Hindi magazines and books available for reading there. Expressing his outrage, he took to social media, stating, "This is not Delhi Airport; this is Chennai Airport. Yet, Tamil and other regional language publications are missing, while Hindi magazines are prominently stocked. This disregards the linguistic sentiments of Tamil Nadu residents,” he said. The MP also escalated the matter by tagging Union Minister of Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu in his post.

Wilson further stated on his X page, “We from Tamil Nadu are not against Hindi, but we are against the Union government imposing Hindi by force like this. It is strongly condemnable that in the passenger lounge at Chennai Airport,” he wrote.

In response, Chennai airport authorities issued a statement denying any bias. "We do keep Tamil magazines in all our lounges, and this magazine was placed there. It appears that one of our guests had taken it for in-flight reading. We also have Tamil magazines on the teapoy and will ensure they are promptly replenished," they explained. They further shared images on social media showcasing Tamil and English publications at the airport.

However, Wilson remained firm in his criticism, asserting that the dominance of Hindi publications at the Chennai airport’s passenger lounge was a clear instance of Hindi imposition. He also pointed out that several digital display boards at the airport featured announcements only in Hindi and English, with no Tamil content. Additionally, the MP noted that in-flight safety announcements were also limited to Hindi and English, ignoring Tamil and other regional languages.