Tamil Nadu Minister mocks Sanskrit ritual chants

Tamil Nadu Minister EV Velu on Friday mimicked Sanskrit verses typically recited during Hindu wedding ceremonies and questioned why the language, which he claimed is barely understood by common people, receives heavy financial backing from the Union government.

“Who the hell even understands that?” Velu asked, referring to Sanskrit chants used by priests during marriages. “Can two lovers confess their love in Sanskrit? They can do so in Tamil,” he said, adding that Tamil is a living language spoken and understood by people across all walks of life.

The Minister was speaking at a public event in Vellore, where he criticised the Centre for allocating Rs 2,500 crore for Sanskrit development while providing only Rs 167 crore for Tamil. He pointed out that Tamil Nadu is the second-highest contributor to Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenues in India, yet receives disproportionately less for the promotion of its own classical language.

 “Why spend Rs 2,500 crore on the development of Sanskrit language that no one understands?” Velu asked, accusing the Union government of neglecting Tamil while favouring a language spoken by a limited section of society.

Last month, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin criticised the BJP-led Union government over its alleged bias in language funding, accusing it of favouring Sanskrit while neglecting Tamil and other South Indian languages. Tamil Nadu Minister Anbil Mahesh had also criticised the central government for what he described as preferential treatment of Sanskrit over other classical languages.