Anti-Hindi agitations refers to the protests in the South Indian state of
Tamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai . Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by Puducherry , Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh...
, formerly known as
Madras StateMadras State was the name by which the Indian state of Tamil Nadu was known from January 26, 1950 till 1968. Initially, Madras State also included coastal parts of modern-day Andhra Pradesh, northern Kerala and Bellary and Dakshin Kannada districts of Karnataka. It was reduced to its present...
during the years of 1938, 1948, 1952, and 1965. This was organized against the decision of the
Government of IndiaThe Government of India, also known as the Union Government or the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of a union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
to adopt
HindiStandard Hindi, also known as High Hindi, Nagari Hindi or Literary Hindi is a standardised register of Hindi. It is one of the 22 languages with official status in India, and is used, along with English, for administration of the central government.Standard Hindi is a sanskritised register derived...
as the only official language of India and was viewed as an imposition on Tamil Nadu. After independence, the constituent assembly had chosen Hindi as the national language of
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
but, primarily because of opposition from non-Hindi speaking states, deferred the implementation of this decision for 15 years, to 26 January 1965. Numerous protests against the decision were organized in the 1950s by the regional political party, the DMK but matters came to a head in 1965 with large-scale protests in the southern state of
MadrasTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai . Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by Puducherry , Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh...
. As a result of these protests, the government headed by
Lal Bahadur ShastriLal Bahadur Shastri was the third Prime Minister of the Republic of India and a significant figure in the Indian independence movement.-Early life:...
decided against the use of Hindi as the official language of the government, and India has since continued a policy of conducting its business in
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
as well as in Hindi.
Pre-Independence and E.V. Periyar Ramasamy's role
Hindi imposition in
Tamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai . Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by Puducherry , Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh...
started in 1937 when the Congress Government of the Madras Presidency under C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji) made
HindiStandard Hindi, also known as High Hindi, Nagari Hindi or Literary Hindi is a standardised register of Hindi. It is one of the 22 languages with official status in India, and is used, along with English, for administration of the central government.Standard Hindi is a sanskritised register derived...
a compulsory subject in schools. (The British were still the rulers of the Indian subcontinent at that time but elected local governments in the Provinces were installed under the British rule.
Madras PresidencyMadras Presidency , also known as Madras Province and known officially as Presidency of Fort St. George, was a province of British India...
was a province that included much of present
Tamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai . Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by Puducherry , Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh...
and parts of present
Andhra PradeshAndhra Pradesh , abbreviated A.P., is a state situated on the south-eastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Hyderabad...
.)
TamilsTamil people , are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, a state in India, and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. They speak Tamil , with a recorded history going back two millennia. Emigrant communities are found across the world...
opposed
HindiStandard Hindi, also known as High Hindi, Nagari Hindi or Literary Hindi is a standardised register of Hindi. It is one of the 22 languages with official status in India, and is used, along with English, for administration of the central government.Standard Hindi is a sanskritised register derived...
imposition immediately and Sir A. T. Panneerselvam and E.V. Ramaswamy (later be known as Periyar or "the Elder one") organized anti-Hindi imposition protests in 1938. More than 1200 people, including women and children, were imprisoned in 1938, of which two, Thalamuthu and Natarasan, lost their lives. In 1939 the Rajaji government quit due to the decision of the Indian National Congress to protest India's participation in
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The teaching of Hindi was withdrawn in 1940 by the British governor. Rajagopalachari, however, relented and opposed the introduction of Hindi during the 1965 agitations. On January 17, 1965, he convened the Madras state Anti-Hindi conference in
Tiruchirapalli
in which he angrily declared that the Part XVII of the Constitution of India which declared that Hindi was the official language should "be heaved and thrown into the Arabian Sea."
The slogan "Tamil Nadu for Tamilians" was first raised in 1938 in protest against the introduction of Hindi in schools. Opposition to the linguistic domination of Hindi was one of the programs of the Self-Respect Movement ever since its genesis. Previously, Periyar gave a warning in a 1926 article of the
Kudi Arasu that Hindi would develop as one of the dangers confronting the non-Brahmin community and that it would help only religious propaganda by the Brahmins. In another editorial of the
Kudi Arasu in 1929, he questioned the wisdom of spreading the knowledge of Hindi, a language that had no connection to Tamils and was of no utility, an Aryan language that taught only superstitious legends and customs and the superiority of Brahmins.
He reasoned that the adoption of Hindi would make Tamils subordinate to Hindi-speaking North Indians. Periyar also considered Tamil to be the desirable language for development of Tamil people. His contention was that it was a conspiracy of Tamil Brahmins and North Indians to destroy the Dravidian art and culture through Hindi language and impose those of the Aryan and thereby re-establish the
Varnashramadharma and suppress the Dravidians as the Khastriyas of the
varna order, degrade the
Adi DravidaAdi Dravida is term used by the state of Tamil Nadu in India to denote Dalits. It means Original natives or indigenous people of Dravida land ...
s as Panchamas and Chandalas, and treat the Christians and Muslims as Mlechas. His conclusions were based on the fact that Rajagopalachari who introduced compulsory teaching of Hindi in Madras Presidency as well as most of his colleagues in the Indian National Congress were Tamil Brahmins. Periyar explained that Hindi would not only halt the progress of Tamilians but would completely destroy their culture and nullify the progressive ideas that had been successfully inculcated through Tamil in the recent decades.
Periyar stated that if the North Indian quits, the Tamil Brahmin will remain silent. Then they will themselves bid good-bye to castes. The foremost duty today is rooting out Hindi because it was imposed with the motive of installing North Indian domination.
Hindustani
About 35% to 40% of people in India speak Hindi, including its various dialects. Under British rule, English had become the language of the administration. With
partitionThe Partition of India was the partition of British India that led to the creation, on August 14, 1947 and August 15, 1947, respectively, of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India...
not a possibility at that time, Nehru opted for Hindustani, an amalgam of Hindi and Urdu, to replace English. He also thought
HindustaniHindustani or Hindi-Urdu is an Indo-Aryan language that spans several closely related dialects in Pakistan and northern India. Although Hindustani is based largely on the Khariboli dialect, it also includes several nonstandard dialects of the Hindi languages...
was easy to learn due to a simpler grammar and proposed that linguists could evolve a basic Hindustani which would be easier learnt by South Indians.
Gandhi also thought that instead of English, Hindustani would unite North and South, Hindu and Muslim, and Hindustani should be made the
rashtrabasha (national language).
Language and Indian constitution
The spoken language in the house and the language with which the constitution to be written and the adoption of "National" language was the most controversial subject during the formulation of the Indian constitution. On 10 December 1946, in response to the Chairman of the house who reminded him of the inability of many members to understand Hindustani,
R.V. DhulekarPandit Raghunath Vinayak Dhulekar was a prominent Indian freedom fighter from Uttar Pradesh who took an active part in the Quit India movement and held many responsible positions in Indian politics such as Member of the Parliament of India and Constituent Assembly in the year 1952...
of United provinces said the following before Nehru persuaded him to leave the rostrum.
The case for Hindi to be the national language of India was bitterly opposed. T.T. Krishnamachari of Madras said,
The assembly finally arrived at a compromise. "The official language of the Union shall be
HindiStandard Hindi, also known as High Hindi, Nagari Hindi or Literary Hindi is a standardised register of Hindi. It is one of the 22 languages with official status in India, and is used, along with English, for administration of the central government.Standard Hindi is a sanskritised register derived...
in the
DevanagariDevanagari , also called Nagari , is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal. It is written from left to right, lacks distinct letter cases, and is recognizable by a distinctive horizontal line running along the tops of the letters that links them together. Devanāgarī is the main script used to...
script but for fifteen years from the commencement of the constitution, the English language shall continue to be used for all the official purposes of the Union for which it was being used immediately before such commencement"
Role of DMK and Annadurai
After the war with China, DMK had dropped its secessionism policies. It however pledged to preserve the cultural heritage of Tamil people. In 1956, the Academy of Tamil Culture passed a resolution seeking for the continuation of English as the official language. The resolution was signed by C.N. Annadurai,
Periyar E. V. RamasamyPeriyar Erode Venkata Ramasamy , also known as Ramaswami, EVR, Thanthai Periyar, or Periyar, was a Dravidian social activist, who founded the Self-Respect Movement and Dravidar Kazhagam....
and C.
RajagopalachariRajagopalachari is a popular name in use amongst the Iyengar community of South IndiaSome prominent Rajagopalacahris are:* C. Rajagopalachari, also known as Rajaji: Indian freedom fighter, Gandhian, leader of the Indian National Congress and founder of the Swatantra party.* Sir Perungavur...
.
Annadurai was a recognised leader of DMK. In his opinion, Hindi was a regional language like any other. It had "no special merit"; in fact, it was less developed than other Indian languages and less suited in a time of rapid advances in science and technology. To the argument that more Indians spoke Hindi than other Indian language, Anna sarcastically answered,
Protests
The constitution of India came into existence on January 26, 1950. Enshrined in the constitution was the status of Hindi and English to be the "Official Languages" of the Central Government of India till 1965 (for a period of 15 years), after which Hindi was expected to take up the pre-eminent position as the sole "National and Official Language" of India irrespective of the state or central government. Hindi and English were the "Official Languages" in every department controlled by the Central Government, which is why Hindi and English are prominent in Railways (except the State of
Tamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai . Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by Puducherry , Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh...
) and nationalised banks.
As January 26, 1965 neared, non-Hindi speakers started voicing their apprehensions openly. Between 1948 and 1961, on an average, every year close to 24% of Central Government Officials were selected from the state of Madras (present day Tamil Nadu). The next best was Uttar Pradesh with about 16%. The idea of making Hindi the sole National language was blasphemous to the students as it was combined with the complete removal of English, even as a medium of education, which was detrimental to their future. This would mean that the Northern regions with their Hindi proficiency would dominate the government posts and also education. Since government jobs were the most lucrative positions before 1991 liberalization, this was seen by South Indians as an indirect means to lose these jobs to natural Hindi speakers. The non-Hindi-speaking people in South India feared that they would be discriminated against in government employment and in other ways. The pro-Hindi activists in Jan Sangh prowled the streets of New Delhi, blackening out any English sign.. Annadurai said you can speak Tamil and English and still be a good Indian. The anti-Hindi agitations also led to the demand for creation of
DravidistanDravidistan, Dravidasthan, or Dravida Nadu was the name of a proposed sovereign state for all non-Brahmin speakers of Dravidian languages in South Asia...
, a separate state for the speakers of Dravidian languages.
On republic day in 1965, two men from Madras set themselves on fire. One left a note saying that he did so for the cause of Tamil. Three days later, a man in Tiruchi killed himself by swallowing insecticide. The riots continued in the state of Madras for over two months and more than sixty people were killed in police firing. Railway cars were burned and stores looted in the city of
MadrasChennai , formerly known as , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the fifth most populous city in India. Located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, Chennai city had a population of 4.34 million in the 2001...
and at least two policemen were killed by rioters in
CoimbatoreCoimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of the Coimbatore District and a major textile and engineering hub of India, especially Southern India. It is part of the ancient Kongu Nadu region of Tamil...
.
Consequences
The intensity of anti-Hindi protests created concern among the Congress leaders. On 31 January 1965, a group of leaders including S.Nijalingappa, Chief minister of
MysoreMysore is the second-largest city in the state of Karnataka, India. It is the headquarters of the Mysore district and the Mysore division and lies about southwest of Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka. The name Mysore is an anglicised version of Mahishūru, which means the abode of Mahisha...
,
Atulya GhoshAtulya Ghosh was a Bengali politician and an able political organiser who had become a legend in Indian political circles. He has been described as “a wise, scholarly and honest leader who was a superb political organizer.”...
, Bengal Congress leader, Sanjeeva Reddy, Union Minister and
K. KamarajKamaraj Kumarasami, better known as K. Kamaraj was an Indian politician widely known to be the kingmaker in Indian politics, and known for his honesty, integrity and simplicity....
, the Congress president met in Bangalore and issued an appeal not to force Hindi on non-Hindi speaking areas as they believed it might endanger the unity of the country.
Congress leader
Morarji DesaiMorarji Ranchhodji Desai was an Indian independence activist and the Prime Minister of India from 1977-79. He was the first Indian Prime Minister who did not belong to the Indian National Congress...
said that by learning Hindi, Tamil people will increase their influence in India. He regretted that Hindi was not made official before the anti-Hindi protests crystallised. He said Congress leaders in Madras should convince people there and no regional sentiments should come in the move to forge the integration of the country.
On 11 February 1965, after the resignation of two Union ministers from madras,
Lal Bahadur ShastriLal Bahadur Shastri was the third Prime Minister of the Republic of India and a significant figure in the Indian independence movement.-Early life:...
announced in
All India RadioAll India Radio , officially known as Akashvani is the radio broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati , an autonomous corporation of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India...
that he would fully honour Nehru's assurances that English would be used as long as people wanted. He also gave the following assurances.
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