FSSAI's 'Dahi' Directive Latest Flashpoint Between Tamil Nadu And Centre Amid 'Hindi Vs Tamil' Debate

Chennai: The state-run Aavin in Tamil Nadu has said it will not use the Hindi term 'Dahi' in its printed sachets, as directed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and that it would only stick to the Tamil word 'tayir' to denote the product.

While Chief Minister M K Stalin has decried the move as an attempt to "impose Hindi", Dairy Development Minister SM Nasar admitted the government had received a letter asking it to implement the directive before August. The BJP's state unit also wanted the FSSAI to withdraw the notification.

The notification released by FSSAI for the use of “Dhahi” in curd sachets produced by state-run cooperative societies is not in tandem with the policy of our Hon PM Thiru @narendramodi avl to promote regional languages.

We want an immediate rollback of the notification. pic.twitter.com/SKK18O59li — K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) March 29, 2023

There is no place for Hindi in the State, Nasar said. The Tamil Nadu Cooperative Milk Producers Federation, familiarly known as Aavin by its brand name, will stick to the Tamil word 'tayir' for its curd preferred by a majority of consumers in the State, a senior official said.

The same has been communicated to FSSAI, the official added. BJP state unit chief K Annamalai said the notification was not in tandem with the Centre's policy of promoting regional languages.

"The notification released by FSSAI for the use of (the word) Dhahi in curd sachets produced by state-run cooperative societies is not in tandem with the policy of our Hon PM Thiru @narendramodi avl to promote regional languages. We want an immediate rollback of the notification," he said in a tweet.

Meanwhile, DMK functionaries trended the Twitter hashtag "DahiNahipoda" (No to Dahi, go on) to oppose "Hindi imposition." The party's IT Wing Secretary TRB Rajaa was among those who tweeted so.

On Wednesday, Stalin had condemned imposition of Hindi even in labelling curd and said those responsible for it would be "banished" from the southern parts of the country. On his Twitter handle, Stalin posted a news report on FSSAI directing Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) to label curd as "dahi" prominently.

The Bengaluru datelined report had said the FSSAI directed the KMF to use the Kannada equivalent for curd "mosaru" in brackets. "The FSSAI clarification on labeling curd has come recently after Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka milk federations sought usage of local names on the curd sachets," the report said. Also, Tamil Nadu Cooperative Milk

Producers Federation has been told by FSSAI that Tamil words "tair" or "tayir" could be used in brackets. Citing the report, Stalin had said, "the unabashed insistence of #HindiImposition have come to the extent of directing us to label even a curd packet in Hindi, relegating Tamil & Kannada in our own states. Such brazen disregard to our mother tongues will make sure those responsible are banished from South forever."