Nothing brings out the duplicity and diligence of Tamilnadu politicos as lingo loyalty does. Suddenly there is a race to the battlefront to protect Tamil that ‘predates sand and stone’. The provocation for the war cry from here is an advisory of the Ministry of Home Affairs directing that all official announcements on social media be made in Hindi, the familiar foe.
Buildings, bridges, subways and memorials abound in TN for those who died in the anti-Hindi agitations at various times. The movement peaked in 1965-66 and many think this led to the rout of the Congress and dawn of Dravidian rule in 1967. It is indeed an irony that Hindi actually helped the DMK that fought against it. But then that is true of everything in life because it is the opponent who/that invariably sustains a protagonist. Only that in TN’s case Hindi has actually been a fortuitous friend to our politicos all through. For example, I am sure Hindi would have been the ‘link language’ between our local annans and northern jis for all the ministerial bargains and shady deals of the last twenty years of coalitions when Dravidians liberally invaded the Aryan Delhi.
The anti-Hindi agitation succeeded in putting Hindi on the academic backburner ever since. There is neither any compulsion nor any incentive to learn it in TN. Millions of students have had education with nary a knowledge of the language that dominates India. Success indeed. But what of politicians? I can bet almost every one and certainly all of their wards are as adept at Hindi as Rajnath Singh is! Then why prevent the rest of their co-borns in the State from learning the language and if possible prospering with its use, but by fairer means? Opposing Hindi to remain politically right and then mastering it on the sly for personal growth and gain is what I would call the best example of a ‘forked tongue’!
Five decades back the anti-Hindi agitation had a resonance with the populace. The sixties generation was carried away by the high voltage rhetoric of the Dravidian ideologues and bequeathed the same mindset to at least two more. For long it was made to appear as if knowing Hindi is to love Tamil less. But today if Hindi’s arrival still causes a stir, it should not be interpreted as anger at being forced now but pure angst for being isolated over the years. TN is one of the few States with the lowest Hindi-knowing population and we are none the better for it. It can be argued otherwise too, but I feel this was one area where the people should have scrupulously followed the unscrupulous example set by its very rational leaders.
The return of the familiar rhetoric however hides a subtle shift. In the past, the Dravidian leaders had no qualms in using the phrase ‘anti-Hindi’ and this was indeed the idea. Those were the times when secession was high on their agenda and language was deemed the vehicle that would take them to a new independent land. But today, they have, thanks to Hindi, tasted in all its ministerial flavours, the fruits of an integrated nation and favours that central power can bestow. So, now the focus is on ‘imposition’ and not Hindi as such, a linguistic lip-sync in tune with the latest trends. All non-Hindi speaking Tamilians, that includes this budhu self, should actually take the cue and learn Hindi at least now on our own without R’nath Singhs telling us! Samje? Then Jaldhi! That’s as far as I can go!
But if my hereditary reluctance to learn Hindi was bad, the MHA order is equally so too. Though warnings of lingo terror being unleashed by Hindi chauvinists are an over-reaction, the advisory betrays some ignorance of social media. The posts in this vast maze are read by all people, across the world, more non-Hindi than Hindi. Also, the nature of the media itself and technology allows for as many languages or instant translations. A version in English or even Bhojpuri or Assamese would make an appearance the moment an order is pasted. I can’t figure out how ‘only Hindi’ can be implemented ‘zealously’ or why ‘only Hindi’ should pose a practical problem to non-Hindiites. Indeed, both, the so-called imposers and our local imposters are in the wrong.
But forget language, do we read official notifications at all? The ‘nahi’s have it!
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