AR Rahman wades into language controversy

As per legendary composer AR Rahman, Tamil and not Hindi is the link language. The Tamil composer made the comment on Monday. This is his second attempt to wade into the raging language controversy.

Last week, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that Hindi can replace English as a link language between people of different States (and not within a State). Although the BJP leader said nothing against any regional language, the South Indian media has been (deliberately) misinterpreting his remarks to stoke controversy.

Soon after Shah's statement last week, Rahman took to social media and posted the words 'Beloved Tamil'. Rahman shared an illustration of Thamizhanangu of Goddess Tamil, a term from Tamil Thai Vaazhthu or the Tamil national anthem. He included a line written by modern Tamil poet of the 20th century Bharathidasan from his ‘Thamiliyakkam’, a book of Tamil poems, which read: “Beloved Tamil is the root of our existence.”

It has to be seen how Rahman's latest statement will be interpreted.