Language row: 'Udhayanidhi’s real concern is funding disparity, not Sanskrit'

Udhayanidhi Stalin, Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, ignited a nationwide debate by describing Sanskrit as a 'dead language', sparking controversy that underscores the complex interplay of language, politics, and cultural identity.

Political commentator Badri Seshadri, in an interview with The Federal, suggested that the remark was secondary to Udhayanidhi’s primary concern, the allocation of central government funds among languages.

Remark rooted in Dravidian ideology

“Udhayanidhi Stalin’s main issue was with the disparity in funding between Sanskrit and Tamil,” Seshadri explained. “The comment on Sanskrit as a ‘dead language’ is part of a long-standing narrative rooted in Dravidian politics.”

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Seshadri traced the ideological lineage of this terminology to the Dravidian movement, particularly the Dravidar Kazhagam and its founder Periyar, who viewed Sanskrit as a symbol of Brahminical dominance.

Udhayanidhi’s 'hate speech'

He characterised Udhayanidhi’s statement as hate speech rather than rational analysis, noting that the United Nations and countries worldwide actively work to preserve endangered languages, regardless of the number of current speakers.

Pointing to Tamil Nadu’s rich linguistic heritage, Seshadri highlighted that languages such as Toda, Irula, and Jarawa have far fewer speakers than Sanskrit, yet are not publicly dismissed as “dead”. “Every language, like every species, is worth preserving. Calling Sanskrit dead is not rational — it reflects entrenched ideological bias,” he said.

Higher allocation for Sanskrit

The debate, Seshadri argued, also involves practical considerations about language funding. According to data, the central government allocates approximately Rs 2,400 crore to Sanskrit, Rs 100 crore to Tamil, and Rs 800 crore to Urdu, primarily for classical and literary research rather than everyday use.

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Sanskrit benefits from extensive institutional support, including multiple universities, libraries, and research programmes. Tamil, by contrast, has fewer structures, limiting the available funding despite its large corpus of classical texts such as the Thirukkural.

Seshadri emphasised that the size of a language’s classical corpus drives the allocation of research funds, rather than the number of speakers or perceived utility. “Sanskrit has an enormous body of classical texts, far exceeding Tamil, Telugu, or Kannada. That necessitates larger funding for research and preservation,” he said, noting that these resources are utilised by scholars across India, including Tamils, not exclusively by Brahmins.

Calls for constructive proposals

He urged Tamil Nadu policymakers to focus on constructive proposals to support classical Tamil, rather than engaging in rhetorical disputes. “Instead of arguing why Sanskrit gets more money, Tamil Nadu should present clear, actionable proposals for its classical language,” he advised.

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Seshadri concluded that, while the Sanskrit debate often appears political, the issue of language preservation extends far beyond party lines.