The signage bearing the name “Kartavya Dwar” at the entrance of the Indian Railways Divisional Railway Office in Tiruchirappalli was removed following sustained opposition from political leaders across Tamil Nadu.
The controversy began after the newly constructed entrance gate of the Tiruchirappalli Divisional Railway Office was named “Kartavya Dwar”, which translates to “Gateway of Duty.” The use of the Hindi name triggered criticism from several leaders who argued that such naming was inappropriate in a non-Hindi-speaking state.
Reacting to the development, Chief Minister M. K. Stalin said the issue went beyond language and reflected what he described as “arrogance of dominance.” In a post on the social media platform X, he said the removal of the signage symbolised more than just the deletion of Hindi script.
“It is not just the Hindi script that has been removed; it is also the arrogance of dominance,” Stalin said. He further alleged that those who pretend to support Tamil while acting otherwise would ultimately face rejection from the people of the state.
“Those who hide one thing inside and say something else outside and those who support them as a sign of slavery and betray Tamil Nadu will be removed by the people of Tamil Nadu,” he said, adding that the state would always resist attempts of domination from New Delhi.
The issue had earlier drawn objections from leaders across party lines. Tiruchi Siva wrote to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw urging the Centre to revoke the name, stating that such changes cause concern in states where Hindi is not widely spoken.
Similarly, Su Venkatesan of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) criticised the move and demanded that the Hindi name be replaced with a Tamil one.
However, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Tamilisai Soundararajan said that mistakes by certain officials should not be interpreted as an attempt by the Union government to impose Hindi in Tamil Nadu. She suggested that the Tamil name board should be prominently displayed at the entrance.
With the removal of the signage, the controversy has subsided for now, but the episode has once again brought the language debate to the forefront of politics in Tamil Nadu.