Anti-Hindi agitations dethroned the Congress in the Madras Presidency in 1967, and since then only Dravidian parties staunchly opposed to Hindi imposition have formed the government in Tamil Nadu
Once again, the debate over Hindi imposition in Tamil Nadu is making headlines. The ruling DMK government is in a standoff with the Modi-led central government over the new education policy. But this resistance isn’t new—it has shaped the state라이브 바카라 politics and identity for nearly a century.
Since the early twentieth century, the anti-Hindi agitations have been going on in Tamil Nadu intermittently. These agitations have not only overthrown governments but have also influenced national policies. They ensured that English remained an associate official language instead of Hindi taking over completely. According to the 2011 Census, 43 percent of India라이브 바카라 population speaks Hindi as their first language.
The opposition to Hindi isn’t only about rejecting a non-native language. Many in Tamil Nadu see it as an assertion of North Indian dominance over the Dravidian South. Others believe Hindi is being pushed as a tool to reinforce Sanatana Dharma—a system that, they argue, upholds caste hierarchy by keeping knowledge concentrated within the Brahmin community.
The anti-Hindi protests in Tamil Nadu date back to at least 1937, a decade before the formation of independent India. Back then, the first Indian National Congress (INC) government in the Madras Presidency, led by C. Rajagopalachari, made Hindi compulsory in schools. The move led to immediate resistance from Tamil political leaders and social reformers, who saw it as a direct attack on Tamil identity. The agitation was led by Periyar E.V. Ramasamy, a rationalist and social reformer, alongside C.N. Annadurai, who would later found the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). The protests turned intense and led to mass arrests and police crackdowns. Two young protesters, Natarajan and Thalamuthu, died in custody and became martyrs of the resistance.
The three-year-long agitation was multifaceted and involved fasts, conferences, marches, picketing, and protests. More than 1,100 people, including women and children, were arrested. Despite the crackdown, the resistance only grew stronger, eventually forcing Rajaji to resign in 1939. A year later, the government withdrew Hindi as a compulsory subject. But the issue didn’t end there.
In 1946, another attempt was made to bring back Hindi in schools. By this time, the Dravidian movement had gained momentum, shaping a powerful political force. Annadurai, who founded the DMK in 1949, became one of the most vocal critics of Hindi imposition. Although there were other leaders and outfits fighting for Tamil rights, the DMK became the vanguard of the anti-Hindi protests.
The language debate soon reached the Constituent Assembly, where members were drafting India라이브 바카라 Constitution. After much debate, the Assembly settled on a compromise known as the Munshi-Ayyangar formula, named after members K.M. Munshi and Gopalswamy Ayyangar. Instead of declaring a national language, the formula stated that both Hindi and English would serve as official languages for 15 years.
By the 1960s, as this 15-year period neared its end, tensions flared again. In 1965, the Union government attempted to replace English with Hindi as the sole official language. Annadurai, DMK라이브 바카라 lone member in the Rajya Sabha, strongly opposed the move. Countering the argument that Hindi was necessary for national unity, he said,
“Please do not think that you can integrate the country only by language. Did you speak in Hindi to me asking me to support the Government of India against foreign aggression? No. Loyalty to the country is composed of various kinds of loyalties, and loyalty to our language is not less in intensity.”
Despite this opposition, the Congress government pushed the Official Languages Act through and triggered one of Tamil Nadu라이브 바카라 biggest uprisings. The state erupted in protests, led largely by students. The agitations turned violent—several protesters died in police firing, and some even set themselves on fire in protest. The backlash was so intense that Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri was forced to intervene and ultimately declare English an “associate official language” alongside Hindi.
The impact of the agitation was clear in the 1967 elections. The Congress lost its hold over the Madras Presidency, and the DMK came to power. Ever since, only Dravidian parties have formed the government in the state. The protests also shaped Tamil Nadu라이브 바카라 language policy. When the DMK came to power, it implemented a two-language formula—Tamil and English—which has been upheld by successive Dravidian chief ministers. Even after the DMK split in 1972, which led to the formation of the AIADMK, both parties continued their staunch opposition to Hindi imposition.
The latest chapter in Tamil Nadu라이브 바카라 language resistance is the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The policy promotes a three-language formula, which many in Tamil Nadu see as a ‘backdoor attempt’ to impose Hindi on the state. The state has even been denied education funds for rejecting it. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan stated that Rs 2,152 crore in funds under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) would not be released unless the state fully implements NEP 2020, including the three-language policy.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has strongly opposed this and credited the two-language policy introduced by former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai for Tamil students’ success in global institutions. Tamil Nadu will not tolerate ‘Hindi colonialism’ replacing British colonialism, Chief Stalin said on March 7. Criticising the BJP라이브 바카라 language policies, he added, “From the names of schemes to awards of Union government institutions, Hindi has been imposed to a nauseating extent, suffocating non-Hindi speakers who are the majority in India. Men may come, men may go. But even long after the dominance of Hindi is shattered in India, history will remember that it was the DMK that stood as the vanguard.”
While Tamil Nadu may be the loudest voice in the anti-Hindi movement, it isn’t alone. Other states, particularly in South India, are also pushing back against the growing dominance of Hindi and to ensure that no one language is placed above others.