21 March 2025 : Indian Express Editorial Analysis

1. To be imbibed,not imposed

(Source – Indian Express, Section – The Editorial Page – Page No. – 10)

The Dravidian Movement and Anti-Hindi Sentiment

• The Dravidian movement, from its inception, strongly linked Hindi with North India and Sanskrit with Brahminism. 
• This connection was not as clearly established in other non-Hindi-speaking states, which is why anti-Hindi sentiment did not gain traction elsewhere. Despite Mahatma Gandhi’s assertion in 1917 that Hindi was widely understood in Madras, the Dravidian movement successfully portrayed it as an alien language to the Tamil people. 
• However, this perception might evolve over time as attitudes change.

Changing Public Response to Anti-Hindi Protests

• The protests against the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 by the DMK government have not generated the same level of public outrage as previous anti-Hindi agitations. 
• In contrast, the 1986 protests against Navodaya schools led to numerous self-immolations and mass arrests. 
• The DMK’s attempt to rekindle anti-Hindi sentiment appears misguided, especially since the NEP does not impose Hindi but promotes multilingualism. 
• Interestingly, Tamil Nadu has recently seen a rise in students enrolling in Hindi courses, indicating a shift in perspective, even as the Dravidian resistance continues.

Gandhi’s Vision for a National Language

• Mahatma Gandhi’s advocacy for Hindi as a national language was rooted in his vision of unity. 
• His newspaper Indian Opinion was published in multiple languages, including Tamil, highlighting his respect for Tamil culture. 
• While he later supported Hindustani as a more inclusive national language, his call for Hindi was not driven by a uniformity agenda but rather by the need for national integration. 
• He believed that learning Hindi was a small sacrifice for national unity, provided that it did not hinder the growth of regional languages like Tamil.

Non-Coercive Language Promotion

• Unlike later government policies, Gandhi never advocated for the imposition of Hindi. 
• Instead, he encouraged voluntary learning through initiatives like the Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha, which promoted Hindi in South India. 
• This approach, based on persuasion rather than coercion, has helped sustain the organization despite political opposition and violence over the years.

Alternative Ideas for Language Reform

• Over the decades, various language policy proposals have been put forth but have not gained widespread attention. 
• Some nationalists, like Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar, supported Hindustani as the national language but suggested using the Roman script to make it more accessible. 
• V. K. R. V. Rao argued that since English would continue to be widely used, adopting Roman script for Hindi could facilitate its learning in non-Hindi regions. 
• Additionally, Article 351 of the Indian Constitution calls for Hindi’s development by incorporating elements from other Indian languages, but this provision remains largely ignored.

The Need for Consensus and Voluntary Adoption

• For Hindi to be accepted more widely, the government must promote it through autonomous institutions rather than impose it politically. 
• Encouraging voluntary learning and integrating regional linguistic influences into Hindi could foster broader acceptance. 
• Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s warning in the Constituent Assembly remains relevant today—had the pro-Hindi lobby been less aggressive, they might have achieved more through voluntary cooperation rather than resistance.

Conclusion

• The debate over Hindi in Tamil Nadu reflects a complex history of regional identity and national integration. 
• While past resistance was strong, changing attitudes and voluntary language learning indicate a potential shift. 
• A balanced approach, focusing on consensus rather than imposition, is key to resolving linguistic conflicts.