PM Modi Expresses Love For Tamil Language, Mentions Special Ties Between India, Malaysia

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that India and Malaysia are connected by a shared love for the Tamil language. Modi highlighted the strong presence of the language in education, media, and cultural life in the country. Nearly 3 million people of Indian origin live in Malaysia, making it the second-largest population group of Indian origin in the world. The majority of them are of Tamil origin.

What did PM Modi say? 

Speaking to the media, Prime Minister Modi said that India and Malaysia are also connected by a shared love for the Tamil language. The strong and vibrant presence of Tamil in education, media, and cultural life in Malaysia is clearly visible. He said, "I am confident that today's audio-visual agreement will bring our hearts even closer through films and music, especially Tamil cinema." Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi had said, "My Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim, like many of us in India, is a big fan of MGR (actor and former Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran)." 

How did PM Modi appreciate Tamil songs? 

During a luncheon hosted in honor of Prime Minister Modi on this occasion, a song from the Tamil actor's film 'Naalai Namadhe' was performed. M.G. Ramachandran was a popular Indian actor, director, and producer. He founded the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party in Tamil Nadu and became the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Ramachandran passed away in 1987. 'Naalai Namadhe' is one of actor Ramachandran's many blockbuster films, released in 1975.

Prime Minister Modi said in a post on X, "One of the songs sung at the banquet hosted by my friend, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, was 'Naalai Namadhe', a song from the film starring the great MGR!"

What did PM Modi say about Indian diaspora? 

Modi said that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, like many of us in India, is a big fan of MGR! Addressing a community event on Saturday, Modi also said that the Indian diaspora acts as a strong bridge between India and Malaysia. He said that inspired by this history, India has established the Thiruvalluvar Chair at the University of Malaya and will now establish a Thiruvalluvar Centre to further strengthen the shared heritage.