DMK hits back at Zoho founder over Hindi language remarks

DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai has criticized Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu's recent comments suggesting that Tamil Nadu’s engineers and entrepreneurs should learn Hindi for business purposes. Annadurai questioned why students in Tamil Nadu should prioritize learning Hindi to meet the business needs of Zoho, emphasizing that Vembu should teach Hindi to his staff if his company requires it.

In a post on X, Annadurai said, “Teach Hindi to your staff if your business needs it. Why should Tamil Nadu students learn Hindi because of your business requirements? Alternatively, you can ask the Union Government to ensure that students have basic knowledge of English, which would solve the issue. The problem with such views is that these individuals think they are ‘twice as smart’ as everyone else. Pathetic.”

Vembu’s comments came after he suggested that a lack of proficiency in Hindi could be a significant handicap for Tamil Nadu's engineers in business dealings. In his post on X, Vembu explained that many of Zoho's engineers work with clients in Hindi-speaking regions like Delhi, Mumbai, and Gujarat, and that not knowing Hindi often led to communication challenges.

“As Zoho grows rapidly in India, we have rural engineers in Tamil Nadu who work closely with clients in Mumbai, Delhi, and Gujarat. Our business relies heavily on serving these customers well,” Vembu stated.

Vembu also shared his personal experience of learning Hindi over the past five years, saying, “Not knowing Hindi is often a serious handicap for us in Tamil Nadu. It is wise for us to learn Hindi. I can now understand about 20% of what is spoken.”

Urging Tamil Nadu's entrepreneurs and engineers to embrace Hindi, Vembu said, “As India is a fast-growing economy, engineers and entrepreneurs in Tamil Nadu will be wise to learn Hindi. Ignore the politics and let’s learn the language!”

However, his remarks have sparked a wider debate, with many questioning the need to prioritize Hindi when English is the global business language. This discussion comes amid ongoing opposition from the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government to the Centre's three-language policy, which they view as an imposition of Hindi on the state.