After row, English replaces Hindi on highway milestones

VELLORE: Bowing to pressure from political parties in Tamil Nadu for replacing names of places from English to Hindi on milestones along the National Highways passing through northern districts of Tamil Nadu, the authorities of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) have switched back to English.
The English marking (script) was found again on milestones along the stretch between Vellore New Stand and Katpadi Railway Station along the National Highways 75.
Ever since the NHAI authorities, citing policy decision, had taken up the work to replace English scripts with Hindi on the milestones along the NHs, particularly NH 75 and 77, passing through Krishnagiri, Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai and Vellore districts, it drew flak among locals and political parties.
Calling it an attempt by the Union government to impose Hindi on Tamil Nadu, leaders of political parties warned that the central government’s move “with an ulterior motive would rekindle the 1960s anti-Hindi stir”.
DMK leader M K Stalin, in a statement, said his party would launch a state-wide protest, if the centre attempted to impose Hindi in Tamil Nadu in any form. Besides Stalin, MDMK leader Vaiko and PMK leader S Ramadoss had registered their strong objections against the move.
On Thursday last, a group of unidentified persons also defaced the Hindi script found on milestones near Millennium Plaza and Odai Pillayar Kovil on NH 75.
Sensing the simmering tension over the issue, NHAI authorities issued instructions to erase the newly-included Hindi scripts. It was evident in Vellore city. The new Hindi markings on several milestones along the 533 km stretch, NH 75, between Bantval in Karnataka and Vellore in Tamil Nadu, have been erased and replaced with names of places in English.
Sources in NHAI said the changes had been carried out along the NH 77 and 75 since a month now. It was, however, stalled after it drew strong criticism and protest from political parties in the state.
“Going back to English will calm down the situation,” said a source. Earlier, the officials stated that it was a policy decision to write the names of the places in Hindi on milestones along the NHs.
Senior officials of NHAI were not available for comment.