📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Balogic
Politics
DMK protests Hindi on medicine packs, cites Tamil Nadu's three-language policy
✍️ India Today
🗓 07 Oct 2026, 03:31 AM
👁 14
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has raised objections to the use of Hindi on pharmaceutical packaging, arguing that it violates Tamil Nadu’s three‑language policy.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) publicly objected to the presence of Hindi text on the labels of medicines sold in Tamil Nadu. The party said the practice contravenes the state’s language policy, which recognises only three official languages for public communication.
DMK officials highlighted that Tamil, English and a third regional language are the only languages permitted under the three‑language framework, and that Hindi does not feature among them. They argued that imposing Hindi on essential health products undermines the linguistic rights of Tamil speakers.
The issue has sparked a broader debate involving health regulators, pharmaceutical companies and language activists. While manufacturers maintain that Hindi labeling aids wider comprehension, state officials are now reviewing the compliance of packaging with the language guidelines.
The party has indicated it may pursue legal or administrative measures to ensure that medicine packaging aligns with the prescribed language policy, urging the government to enforce the rule promptly.
DMK officials highlighted that Tamil, English and a third regional language are the only languages permitted under the three‑language framework, and that Hindi does not feature among them. They argued that imposing Hindi on essential health products undermines the linguistic rights of Tamil speakers.
The issue has sparked a broader debate involving health regulators, pharmaceutical companies and language activists. While manufacturers maintain that Hindi labeling aids wider comprehension, state officials are now reviewing the compliance of packaging with the language guidelines.
The party has indicated it may pursue legal or administrative measures to ensure that medicine packaging aligns with the prescribed language policy, urging the government to enforce the rule promptly.