Chennai,  Seven-time National Award winning lyricist Vairamuthu on Saturday said that language was something that was based only on one's need and not on imposition.

Taking to Twitter, Vairamuthu penned his thoughts on the issue in Tamil.

The senior lyricist, who has penned over 7,500 songs and poems in his 40-year career, said that those Tamilians travelling to the north to live there could learn Hindi and those travelling from the North to the south, to live here could learn Tamil.

Language, he pointed out, was something that was based only on need and not based on imposition.

The poet and lyricist went on to point out that they had lost a lot, both land wise and lifestyle wise, due to the dominance of the northern language.

Vairamuthu's observations come in the wake of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks that Hindi should be accepted as an alternative to English during a meeting of the parliamentary official language committee.

The statement of the Home Minister has triggered concerns in southern states of the country.