Opposition to Hindi at every level in Tamil Nadu

India Today presents a special report from the five states - Tamil Nadu, Bengal, Punjab, Bihar and Kerala - where the language issue has aroused the most controversy. A 5,000 strong mob takes over Egmore station during 1965 language riotsThe year was 1937. India was in the throes of a new experiment. As a sequel to the Government of India Act of 1935 (which ushered in dyarchy) provincial elections were held throughout the British India territory in the sub-continent. In the presidency of Madras the Congress party romped home with a sledge hammer majority inflicting a crushing defeat on the Justice Party, forerunner of the Dravida Kazhagam (DK).Chakravarti Rajagopalachari assumed office as the first Congress Prime Minister (that was the nomenclature then) of Madras presidency on July 14, 1937. And 28 days later he made public his intention to introduce for the first time Hindi as a compulsory language in all the secondary schools in the presidency.This set off a flurry of activity. A few Tamil academics who had been expressing fears of "Hindi replacing Tamil" seized upon the opportunity and set up a "society for protection of Tamil language". This society held a public meeting in the interior town of Tirunelveli on September 5, 1937 and condemned the introduction of Hindi as a compulsory subject in schools.Within a few weeks the society merged with another association called the "Tamilian Association" founded by some political elements. The transition was complete. The movement had now passed from the hands of the academics to politicians..preferred-source-banner{ margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:10px;}At this point a bearded 59-year-old atheist and iconoclast who was to later shape the course of political events in southern India, assumed the leadership of the anti-Hindi campaign. He was Erode Venkatappa Ramasami Naicker (E.V.R.), now affectionately known as "Periyar" - Tamil for venerable or great sage.In what appears to be the first organized attempt to resist the spread of Hindi, the Tamilian Association launched the Madras Provincial Anti-Hindi League in the summer of 1938, with branches in various districts. Following the compulsory introduction of Hindi in 125 secondary schools in Madras presidency in June 1938, the league called upon its members to picket schools and the first anti-Hindi procession marched off in the sweltering summer heat of June 1,1938, towards Rajagopalachari's residence.A spate of demonstrations followed and volunteers began picketing schools that taught Hindi. In a bid to diffuse the movement, the Congress ministry announced that though Hindi would be taught compulsorily in schools there was to be no examination in the subject and the total time devoted for teaching Hindi would be only 2 hours each week.This apparently failed to remove the misgivings of the Tamil enthusiasts. A meeting convened at Trichirapally on August 1,1938, resolved to continue the agitation till the suspension of Hindi instruction. Among those who attended the meeting was Muslim League leader Khallifullah whose party had joined the agitation against Hindi.The agitation gained further momentum when on November 13, 1938 the Tamil Nadu Women's Conference joined the campaign at the instigation of E.V. Ramasami Naicker. Six women volunteers paraded the streets with anti-Hindi placards and later picketed a school. All of them were arrested and sentenced to six weeks imprisonment.Over 300 persons had already been sentenced to varying terms in jail for participating in the anti-Hindi campaign. Ramasami Naicker himself had been jailed for a year. Among those imprisoned was a little-known figure who was to later dominate the political scene of Tamil Nadu. He was Canjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai, who had just come out of college.The campaign continued unabated through 1939. Two volunteers L. Ganesan (said to be a Congressman) and Thalamuthu Nadar died in jail during the year after they were allegedly denied medical aid following their refusal to apologize for having participated in the anti-Hindi campaign.In February 1940, the government issued a notification ending the provision for compulsory teaching of Hindi in schools. (The Rajaji Congress ministry had by then resigned following the outbreak of the Second World War). The anti-Hindi campaign abated for the time being only to erupt with greater bitterness 25 years later, on January 29,1965.Between 1940, when teaching of Hindi was suspended and in 1965 when anti-Hindi riots broke out again, major political developments had taken place. The Justice party which triggered the anti-Hindi movement had been replaced by Dravida Kazhagam (DK) founded by Ramasami Naicker in 1944. But the D.K. itself split within five years with the launching of Dravida Munetra Kazhagam (DMK) by C.N. Annadurai in September 1949. From then on, the DMK dominated the Tamil Nadu political scene and campaigned against Hindi.On January 26, 1965, Hindi was to replace English as the official language in accordance with the provisions of the constitution. (The Official Languages Act of 1963 had, however, made a provision that English may continue to be used for official purposes even after Hindi becomes the official language).In an attempt to force the Centre to change the language policy, the student community in Tamil Nadu decided to mount a campaign beginning on January 26. A Tamil Nadu Students Anti-Hindi Council was set up for the purpose. The campaign was to take the form of peaceful demonstrations, non-violent picketing of public buildings, processions and burning of copies of the Indian constitution. The DMK had decided to observe January 26, 1965 as "mourning day" by hoisting black flags and wearing black arm bands.But the "peaceful" campaign soon turned violent. Congressmen and students clashed. The police and students fought pitched battles. On January 27, a number of student's hostels were raided by the police and over 300 student leaders were arrested. The campaign abated for the moment and student leaders were released.But the peace proved deceptive. When colleges reopened on February 8, large-scale violence followed. There were repeated clashes between students and police. The public too had joined the campaign. Almost all the towns in the state observed total bandh on two days and in the following week the agitation was stepped up.Savage scenes were witnessed between February 10 and 15. The police opened fire in at least 20 places in the state to quell violent mobs. Scores of railway stations, post offices, police stations and other public buildings were set on fire by roving mobs. Almost every train was stoned and every passing bus consigned to flames. The worst clash occurred at Kumarapalayam in Coimbatore where the police opened fire to quell a wild mob and killed 10 persons.Besides Madras city, the police opened fire to put down violence in Trichy, Coimbatore, Tirrupur, Vellakoil, Mannaparai, Tiruchengode, Tiruvottriyur, Pollachi, Cheenimalai, Gudalur, Cumbum, Ami, Walajhabad and Pondicherry. Though according to official estimates between 50 to 60 persons died in the police firing, unofficial accounts say over 150 were killed and nearly 500 wounded in the police action.During this period, savage mobs burnt alive two police officers. At least five persons, three of them student leaders, immolated themselves shouting "Long live Tamil" in imitation of the fire suicide by Buddhist monks in Vietnam.Following repeated assurances from the Centre that there was "no danger of Hindi being imposed on anyone", the agitation was called off by the students on February 22.And inevitably, in the general elections that followed two years later in 1967, the DMK riding the crest of the anti-Hindi wave captured power in Tamil Nadu and ruled for nine long years - the longest tenure of a non-Congress ministry in any state. One of the first acts of the new DMK government after assuming power was to abolish the three-language formula.By a resolution, the Tamil Nadu assembly ordered that only Tamil and English be taught in schools and colleges. The DMK also awarded cash "pensions" to those who had been in the forefront of the anti-Hindi agitation. (The pensions were stopped recently following a Supreme Court order).Much on the same lines, the AIADMK, headed by M.G. Ramachandran, which has now mounted the saddle, has made it clear that it would adhere to the two-language formula and would not permit teaching of Hindi in government-aided schools and colleges.On the question of language, the AIADMK and its political foe the DMK have a similar policy - opposition to Hindi at every level. It is doubtful if any party with a contrary policy will be able to survive in Tamil Nadu.Published By: AtMigration Published On: Apr 24, 2015--- ENDS ---

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Opposition to Hindi at every level in Tamil Nadu

India Today presents a special report from the five states - Tamil Nadu, Bengal, Punjab, Bihar and Kerala - where the language issue has aroused the most controversy.

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