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By:

Kaustubh Kale

10 September 2024 at 6:07:15 pm

Akshay Tritiya and Gold

As Akshay Tritiya arrives, gold once again takes centre stage in Indian households. For generations, buying gold on this auspicious day has been considered a symbol of prosperity, purity, and good fortune. It is not just a purchase. It is an emotion, a blessing, and a tradition passed from one generation to another. But beyond tradition, gold also carries an important financial lesson. Gold is not just jewellery. It is an asset. Gold During Uncertain Times Over the years, gold has proved its...

Akshay Tritiya and Gold

As Akshay Tritiya arrives, gold once again takes centre stage in Indian households. For generations, buying gold on this auspicious day has been considered a symbol of prosperity, purity, and good fortune. It is not just a purchase. It is an emotion, a blessing, and a tradition passed from one generation to another. But beyond tradition, gold also carries an important financial lesson. Gold is not just jewellery. It is an asset. Gold During Uncertain Times Over the years, gold has proved its worth not only during festivals, but also during uncertain times. Whenever the world faces wars, inflation, currency weakness, economic slowdown, or financial panic, investors across the globe look at gold as a safe haven. This is because gold has a unique quality. It is trusted across countries, cultures, and generations. It does not depend on the promise of one government, one company, or one currency. Why Gold Holds Value Unlike paper currency, gold cannot be printed endlessly. Unlike businesses, it does not depend on profits or management quality. Unlike real estate, it is globally accepted and easily valued. This is why gold continues to remain one of the oldest and most respected stores of value. It has survived centuries of change, economic cycles, wars, and financial crises. The Right Role in Your Portfolio That said, gold should not be treated as a shortcut to wealth creation. Equities and equity mutual funds still remain essential for long-term growth. Gold plays a different role. It brings balance, stability, and protection to your portfolio. When equity markets are volatile or global uncertainty rises, gold often provides comfort. A sensible allocation of around 10-20% to gold can help reduce overall portfolio risk.  So basically, while stocks and equity mutual funds play the lead role in your long-term financial goals, gold plays the supporting but essential role. Physical Gold Has Limitations However, the way you invest in gold matters. Buying physical gold during festivals may feel emotionally satisfying, but it comes with practical challenges. There are making charges, purity concerns, storage issues, risk of theft, and liquidity problems. A necklace may be beautiful, but you cannot easily sell only a small portion of it when you need money. Also, when gold is bought as jewellery, the investor often forgets to calculate the actual return after making charges and deductions. Smarter Ways to Invest This is where Gold Mutual Funds and Gold ETFs become useful. They allow you to invest in gold without worrying about lockers, purity, theft, or storage. You can invest flexible amounts, start SIPs, track value easily, and redeem conveniently when required. For investors who want gold as part of their financial plan, these options are far more practical than buying jewellery purely as an investment. Tradition with Financial Clarity Akshay Tritiya is a beautiful reminder that wealth should be built with faith, patience, and clarity. Buying gold is auspicious, but buying it in the right form is financially wise. This Akshay Tritiya, celebrate tradition - but also upgrade your financial thinking. Because true prosperity is not just about owning gold. It is about owning it smartly. (The writer is a Chartered Accountant and CFA (USA). Financial Advisor. Views personal. He could be reached on 9833133605.)

Hindi-Dravidian? Nahin Nahin!

Updated: Mar 3, 2025

Tamil Nadu’s Language Wars rage on in right earnest as M.K. Stalin spearheads the state’s age-old resistance to Hindi imposition, exposing increasing fault lines between Centre and State.

Hindi-Dravidian
Tamil Nadu

Few issues in Tamil Nadu evoke as much passion as the spectre of Hindi imposition. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s recent remarks warning of a renewed “language war” have reignited a decades-old conflict between Tamil linguistic pride and the Centre’s attempts at national integration through Hindi. The DMK, which has long positioned itself as the guardian of Tamil identity, sees the BJP-led central government’s three-language policy as an existential threat to the state’s linguistic autonomy.


Tamil Nadu’s opposition to Hindi dates back to the pre-Independence era. When the Congress government under C. Rajagopalachari attempted to introduce Hindi as a compulsory subject in schools between 1937 and 1939, it provoked mass protests led by the Justice Party and social reformers like E.V. Ramasamy ‘Periyar’. The protests, brought on by the fear that Tamil would be relegated to a secondary status, were among the first large-scale agitations in modern Indian history based on language.


The conflict resurfaced in 1965 when the Union government sought to implement Hindi as India’s sole official language, triggering violent student protests across Tamil Nadu. The agitation, spearheaded by the DMK, led to the deaths of several protesters and ultimately forced the Centre to back down. In response, the then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri assured that English would continue as a link language alongside Hindi. This victory was pivotal for the DMK, which rode the wave of anti-Hindi sentiment to power in 1967. Since then, successive Tamil Nadu governments regardless of party affiliation have adhered to a strict two-language formula of Tamil and English, rejecting any attempts to include Hindi in the state’s curriculum.


The current controversy stems from the National Education Policy (NEP), which advocates a three-language formula, with Hindi being the preferred third language in non-Hindi-speaking states. The BJP has consistently argued that Hindi is essential for national cohesion and economic mobility, a stance that finds little sympathy in Tamil Nadu. Stalin’s latest salvo, asserting that the state will not tolerate Hindi imposition, reaffirms the DMK’s historic position.


The Tamil Nadu BJP chief, K. Annamalai, has countered these claims, accusing the DMK of hypocrisy. He points out that while private schools in the state allow students to learn Hindi and other languages, government schools restrict them to Tamil and English, creating a disparity between the elite and the working class. Yet, the BJP’s arguments fail to address a fundamental truth that Tamil Nadu’s economic success, particularly in higher education and employment, has been achieved without Hindi.


Beyond linguistic concerns, the battle over Hindi is deeply political. The DMK has always used language as a rallying point to consolidate its voter base, portraying itself as the defender of Tamil culture against ‘northern imposition.’


The BJP, meanwhile, views Tamil Nadu as a critical frontier in its southern expansion. By positioning itself as a champion of Hindi and a party committed to a pan-Indian linguistic identity, it hopes to erode the DMK’s influence. However, past attempts have backfired. In 2019, the Union government’s decision to make Hindi mandatory in all central government exams was met with intense resistance, forcing a quick rollback.


Compounding Tamil Nadu’s grievances is the looming delimitation exercise, which could see the state lose up to eight Lok Sabha seats due to its success in population control. Stalin has argued that this would further diminish Tamil Nadu’s voice in national affairs, affecting its ability to resist policies such as the NEP and central fund allocations. The DMK sees this as another example of Tamil Nadu being punished for its progressive policies, reinforcing the narrative that the Centre is indifferent to the state’s interests.


Stalin’s defiance signals that the DMK is ready to fight, and if past struggles are any indication, the people of Tamil Nadu will stand firmly behind him.

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