The Rupee In Peril ⛃⛂⛁⛀ : Tamil Nadu

Hello readers 👋

I hope you’re doing well. Today, I’ve got a topic that’s both personal and political but not too heavy. I wanted to talk about something that's a bit of a twist, and yet it touches on pride, culture, and, of course, the ever-present linguistic battles in India.

Now, I’m sure you’ve heard about the rupee symbol, right?and it can be that you guys might've heard about the furore that's occurring regarding it. That little logo we all see on currency notes, representing India’s pride. Well,  it was designed by D Udaya Kumar(In 2010) , a professor at IIT Guwahati, designed the Indian rupee symbol that was officially adopted by the government on July 15, 2010.

So, who is D Udaya Kumar?

D Udaya Kumar is no ordinary man. Hailing from where?? that I'll tell you later (I love creating necessary suspense), he was chosen from over 3,000 entries nationwide. The symbol is a unique blend of the capital 'R' from the Roman alphabet and the Devanagari 'Ra' representing "rupaiah," the Hindi word for rupee. The two horizontal lines at the top represent the national flag and symbolise equality – a nice touch🫶, don’t you think?

His design was widely appreciated, earning him an award of ₹2.5 lakh. But here’s where things get interesting: The Tamil Nadu government recently decided to replace the Indian rupee symbol with a new logo – the Tamil alphabet letter ‘Ru’. This move, unveiled by Chief Minister MK Stalin, has sparked a lot of controversy. The new symbol has been criticized by the opposition, with the BJP calling it “condemnable and laughable.”

But what’s even more ironic? The symbol being replaced was designed by none other than a Tamilian a Tamilian a Tamilian a Tamilian (I wish i could add that typical hindi TV serial audio here😏). D Udaya Kumar, a man whose connection to Tamil culture is undeniable, created the symbol that is now being replaced by another symbol from the same culture. The irony is almost poetic.

WEIRD RIGHT??!?!?

The rupee symbol we’ve all been using for years was designed by a Tamilian professor, and now, the state government of Tamil Nadu wants to replace it with a new symbol. It’s causing quite a stir in the political scene, as many feel it’s an unnecessary change. 

My personal opinion is that it doesn't really matter what place he belongs to (although it's funny)but the fact that the linguistic issues in india escalated to this level and no one is interested in knowing more about it(you guys are!!)

D Udaya Kumar, though, remains unfazed by the controversy. According to him, this decision doesn’t affect him personally. As he says, a designer must be ready to face both praise and criticism, and he’s learned to embrace it all. After all, not all designs are universally loved, right?

Although he is absolutely right as a designer but as a citizen of the country which seems to split in two parts based on the currency they use, it's sad that he has no say. But expecting that from him is wrong,he alone can't make a change.

Udaya kumar is no more just a fill in the blank  answer for me from my 8th grade general knowledge book (I meant i got to know more about sir while writing this blog)

He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Architecture, a Master's in Design (Visual Communication), and a Ph.D. in Design from IIT Bombay. He is the son of N Dharmalingam, a former DMK MLA who represented the Rishivandiyam constituency in Tamil Nadu. His work also includes stints as a senior designer and design head for a magazine called Intelligent Computing CHIP. He’s someone whose expertise goes far beyond just the rupee symbol.

Credits : IndiaTV thumbnails

In an interview, he mentioned that he was proud of his creation, but added that a designer should accept all feedback and move forward, regardless of the reactions. He didn’t see the Tamil Nadu government’s move as disrespectful – just another challenge in his career.

All the media associations tried to make the entire issue about andagainst the person who designed the symbol, deviating our attention from the actual concern.

Now, before we get too caught up in the controversy, I want to leave you with one thought: In the world of design, changes and criticism are inevitable. But this situation brings us back to a bigger question: Is this really a battle over symbols, or is it more about the political statement we’re trying to make through something as simple as a logo?

And what do you think about it? 

Feel free to drop your thoughts below. 

Let's talk about it! 👇

Till then, stay curious!