Actor and politician Kamal Haasan recently made a statement claiming that the Kannada language “was born out of Tamil,” sparking significant controversy across South India. While Haasan later said his words were misinterpreted and spoken out of love, he has refused to apologize for his remarks.

The Controversy

The statement has triggered substantial backlash in Karnataka. The Karnataka Rakshanavik filed a complaint in Bengaluru seeking an FIR against Haasan for allegedly provoking sentiments between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The JDS party has called for a ban on Haasan’s films in Karnataka, stating that his remarks challenge Kannada’s pride. In response, the TVK has warned of retaliatory measures, threatening to ban Kannada films in Tamil Nadu if Haasan’s movies are banned in Karnataka.

Fact Check: What Does Linguistic Science Say?

Verdict: FALSE

Modern historical linguistics does not support the claim that Kannada was “born out of Tamil.” Here are the established facts:

The Dravidian Language Family

Both Tamil and Kannada belong to the Dravidian language family, specifically the southern branch. However, they developed as separate branches from a common ancestor known as Proto-Dravidian, with their more immediate shared ancestor termed Proto-Tamil-Kannada.

Independent Development

The key facts that refute Haasan’s claim include:

• No evidence exists supporting the assertion that Kannada is born out of Tamil
• Both languages developed independently from a shared linguistic ancestor
• The split between Kannada and Tamil is older than any surviving literary or epigraphic evidence
• As Tamil remained geographically rooted in the Tamlakam region, Kannada speakers migrated westward to present-day Karnataka, leading to independent linguistic evolution

Age vs. Literary Tradition

While Tamil has an older surviving literary corpus (Sangam era, approximately 500-300 BC) compared to Kannada’s classical period (beginning around 850 CE), this difference in literary tradition does not indicate the age of the languages themselves. Linguists consider it meaningless to claim that any natural language is “older” than another, as ancestral forms of both would have been spoken simultaneously at any given historical point.

Preservation of Ancient Forms

Contrary to claims that Tamil is more “conservative” in preserving older forms, counterexamples exist. For instance, the Kannada word for “ear” (kivi) actually preserves the older Dravidian reconstructed form better than the Tamil equivalent (cevi), demonstrating that both languages have preserved different aspects of their common heritage.

Historical Complexity

The relationship between South Indian languages has been debated for centuries. A 15th-century grammar grouped languages of Kerala, Pandya, and Chola regions under “Dramida” but excluded “Karnata” and “Andhra” tongues as being too distant from Tamil. However, these historical speculations predate modern scientific linguistics.

The Bottom Line

While Tamil and Kannada share ancient roots as sister languages branching from a common Proto-Dravidian ancestor, the scientific consensus is clear: Kannada was not “born out of Tamil.” Both languages developed independently from their shared linguistic heritage, making Haasan’s claim linguistically inaccurate.

The controversy highlights the sensitivity surrounding claims of historical priority among South Indian languages and underscores the importance of distinguishing between linguistic science and regional pride. As experts suggest, such discussions require leaving linguistics to the linguists while fostering unity that avoids linguistic chauvinism.

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While speaking on May 15 about the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan, Dar, who also serves as Pakistan’s foreign minister, lauded the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) by saying, “Telegraph writes, Pakistan Air Force is the undisputed king of the skies.” The comment was based on an image of what appeared to be the Daily Telegraph front page dated May 10, which included the same headline alongside a picture of a JF-17 fighter jet.

However, fact-checking revealed the truth: the image had been digitally altered. The actual front page of the Daily Telegraph on May 10 carried an entirely different headline unrelated to Pakistan or its air force. It focused on a resignation scandal involving the UK Navy chief and made no mention of the PAF.

The altered image, circulated widely by pro-Pakistan social media users, had even been shared by a blue-tick X (formerly Twitter) account claiming to represent Pakistan’s military media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The account, believed to be impersonating ISPR’s Director General Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, has since been suspended, and its post flagged as AI-generated and inauthentic.

The spread of this manipulated content appears to be part of a broader propaganda push by Pakistan following India’s recent military action under ‘Operation Sindoor’, which targeted terrorist camps across the border in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7. In the aftermath, Pakistani authorities and social media influencers have been accused of using doctored videos and headlines to boost public morale and counter India’s narrative.

Ironically, while the misinformation aimed to portray Pakistan in a position of strength, it was the country’s own deputy prime minister who inadvertently exposed the campaign’s credibility issues by falling for the fake content himself. What made the situation more striking is that it wasn’t just Indian outlets calling out the deception—Pakistani media, including Dawn, conducted independent fact-checks and confirmed the falsity of the headline Dar quoted.

India’s Press Information Bureau (PIB) also commented on the incident, stating on X that the false claim had been “amplified” by an official figure, giving it undue legitimacy.

The episode underscores the risks of relying on unverified digital content, especially in high-stakes political discussions. It also serves as a cautionary tale for governments about the unintended consequences of engaging in or endorsing disinformation campaigns. In this case, Pakistan’s attempt to shape global perception backfired at home, leaving one of its top leaders red-faced.

The post Pakistan’s Deputy PM Quoted Fake News in Parliament, Local Media Calls It Out appeared first on Praja Media.

Context: Operation Sindoor and Subsequent Misinformation

On the night between May 6 and 7, 2025, Indian armed forces reportedly launched air strikes targeting nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and PoK in response to a terror attack in Pahalgam. Pakistani forces allegedly responded with retaliatory air attacks, which were successfully countered by India’s air defence systems.

In the days that followed, several misleading videos started circulating online. These videos purported to show India’s top political figures—PM Modi, Amit Shah, and S. Jaishankar—making public statements of surrender or apology. The content appeared to be aimed at pushing a false narrative of India conceding to pressure.

Verification Process

A fact-checking team, in collaboration with deepfake detection experts from the Misinformation Combat Alliance’s Deepfakes Analysis Unit (DAU), closely examined the viral videos.

PM Modi Video (First Clip)

The first video, shared by a Facebook user on May 10, allegedly showed PM Modi admitting defeat. Analysis by Hive AI’s deepfake detection software revealed that the audio in the video was entirely synthesized. Additional testing through DeepFake-O-Meter showed conclusive evidence from multiple classifiers that the audio was not genuine. Visual inconsistencies, such as unnatural lip movements and lighting artifacts, further confirmed the video’s inauthenticity.

Amit Shah Video

Another video, supposedly showing Amit Shah issuing an apology, was subjected to the same scrutiny. Hive AI flagged the entire audio track as manipulated. The DeepFake-O-Meter tool indicated that six of seven classifiers identified the audio as artificially generated. Visual signs of editing were also present, reinforcing that the video was falsified.

S. Jaishankar Video

The clip featuring External Affairs Minister Jaishankar was found to be partly altered. While one segment of the audio appeared genuine, other parts showed signs of tampering. Hive AI and DeepFake-O-Meter confirmed AI involvement in both audio and visuals. The official fact-checking handle of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) also labeled the video as fabricated and part of a wider propaganda effort.

Second PM Modi Clip

A separate video of PM Modi was also circulated with a misleading caption. Investigators used Google Lens to trace the footage to a Hindustan Times video from May 7. The original footage showed the Prime Minister addressing the Global Conference on Space Exploration 2025 via video link. In the original video, there was no reference to military operations, indicating the viral version was doctored to convey a false message.

Official Confirmation

BJP national spokesperson Vijay Sonkar Shastri confirmed to fact-checkers that all the videos in question were fake. Furthermore, during a national address on May 12, PM Modi clarified that while further action against Pakistan was currently on hold, any future dialogue would be strictly focused on cross-border terrorism and the issue of PoK.

Social Media Origin

A review of user activity showed that the individuals spreading these deepfake videos were either based in Pakistan or PoK and appeared to be aligned with pro-Pakistan narratives.

Conclusion

The videos featuring PM Modi, Amit Shah, and S. Jaishankar circulating on social media platforms are not authentic. They have been digitally altered using AI tools and are being shared with the intent to mislead. These deepfakes are part of a coordinated attempt to manipulate public perception following recent geopolitical tensions.

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There was an era in the history of India when the citizens of the country faced continuous famine. Food grains were imported from other countries at extremely high prices until the policy of Green Revolution was introduced in India. After the ushering of the policy we witnessed a great raise in the field of agriculture in India. We became one of the key producers and exporters in the world.

Though India has made a commendable comeback in the agriculture sector, there is still a lot of scope for the agriculture in India to reach higher figures of farm output. The figures are not satisfactory because India accounts to 250 million tonnes of food grain production in comparison to 571 million tonnes production in China (Figures from the year 2011-2012). The reason why comparison between these two countries is used is because of the commonalities that these two countries share with regard to agriculture. India and China both have experienced agrarian crisis almost during the same time in history. Both the countries have large population size and similar food consuming habits.

Though India has a glorious history in agriculture, one question still remains debated time and again.  Why are the farmers of India so agitated?  Why are so many farmers killing themselves? Is there any problem in the system that is further causing complications in agriculture? Can farm loan waiver solve problems permanently?

There are a number of problems that the country is facing with regard to agriculture and the farmers in the country.

Lack of sound education which often leads to the farmers being cheated:

Most of the farmers in our country do not have a proper education background. This leads to the farmers not getting to know of the important agricultural policies. We are aware of the fact that our country has witnessed a growing rate in corruption. With issues regarding to agriculture and farmers, the prevailing illiteracy amongst the farmers can make them clear targets and susceptible to being cheated.
Lack of proper research and development in the country:

According to various reports, though India has a number of agriculture scientists there is no proper work being done in developing the current agriculture scenario through research.  India is said to spend lesser than China and Brazil for research and development. This can be considered as one of the main reasons for crisis in the agriculture sector. The lack of research, results in the farmers not being updated on the methods and technology that is being used in the agriculture sector in other countries.

Lack of storage facilities:

There is an urgent need for the building of proper storage facilities in India. Lack of proper storage facilities is one of the many reasons for low profits. Due to improper storage facilities, the farmer is forced to sell the seed at the market price. The the farmer cannot wait for the price to rise because doing so can risk in rotting of the harvest.
Irrigation issues:

2/3 of the agriculture land in India is dependent on the monsoons for the irrigation of the soil. Given to the growing global warming in the country, rains are unpredictable and unstable. Only 1/3 of the agriculture lands have the facility of being irrigated through canals and lakes. Due to increased water pollution, there is also a fear of soil erosion which can result in further infecting the crops.
Improper agricultural marketing:

The production after the harvest needs an ample amount of marketing to get the right prices. Clearly, this is not the case in India. The farmer is forced to sell the produce to the moneylender or middleman because of the interest he needs to pay for having taken a loan for the capital. In such situations, the middlemen tend to sell the produce at a very cheap rate, without giving the farmer an opportunity to make a proper profit or even to get the correct price of the produce.
With so many issues erupting from time to time, we can clearly understand the reasons as to why the farmers are committing suicides.  From sowing the seeds to harvesting the crop, a farmer encounters with so many issues.  There are a number of policies that have been introduced to make things easier for farmers, but due to illiteracy, the information does not really reach the farmers.

Over the past months, we have observed that the farmers have begun to agitate against the situations they have been forced to face.  They demand for a loan waiver by their respective state governments. How far can waiving a loan solve the current agrarian crisis?

Loan waivers shall solve the issues for a limited period of time, after which the farmers will have to face similar issues. The problems need to be fixed from within the roots so that they do not repeat. Until farmers receive loan waivers, the main problem will remain ignored and hence complicate the issue further.

India is known as an agrarian country that feeds its 1.3 billion people and also exports the food grains all over the world. It has so many accomplishments even after so many internal issues.  Had these issues never existed, the achievements of the agriculture sector of India would’ve been worth  giving a thought.

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