Prime Minister Narendra has promised to promote Tamil, one of the world’s oldest languages, as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s manifesto, also called sankalp patra, for the upcoming election to the Lok Sabha (the lower house of Indian Parliament).Thiruvalluvar cultural centres will be set up to elevate the global reputation for Tamil.
At the 74th session of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Modi had recited a 3,000-year-old Tamil quote by philosopher Kaniyan Pungundranar to highlight India’s commitment to inclusive policies.
In January 2022, the PM inaugurated the new campus of the Central Institute of Classical Tamil in Chennai.
Modi has released various translations of the Thirukkural including one in Gujarati as well as Tok Pisin language of Papua New Guinea.
In 2021, the ‘Subramania Bharati Chair’ on Tamil Studies was set up at the Banaras Hindu University in his home constituency, Varanasi.
Subramaniam Bharati is arguably the most famous modern poet from Tamil Nadu known for his revolutionary spirit and progressive views that inspired the freedom struggle in Tamil Nadu.
During his visit to Tokyo, Modi put the spotlight on silk mats made in Pattamadai (part of the Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu) by giving it as a gift to his Japanese counterpart.
Modi’s outreach, combined with the party’s promotion at the grassroots by the state party chief K Annamalai, is likely to provide a BJP a significant jump in its vote share in Tamil Nadu in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.