“Compulsory
introduction of Hindi is bound to be resented by South.
Protagonists of Hindi would do well to keep this in
their mind if they do really wish for the propagation
of Hindi”.
His Excellency Sri Prakasa, Governor of Bombay, gave
this wholesome advice, to an audience at Benares, on
the 28th of July.
We are glad that the very rich experience that
Sri Prakasa had had here, as Governor of Madras, is
bearing fruit and we do offer our heart-felt thanks
to His Excellency. Such an advice, is certainly needed
urgently and in more vigorous a manner, for there is
action in the upcountry, which is fanatically wedded
to Hindi.
This section is loud in their denunciation of what they
term as the ‘go-slow’ policy adopted by the ruling party
at Delhi. This section thinks and talks, in much the
same strain and vein of the Moghul Emperors of yore!
Hindi is the National language and he who does not know
Hindi, should not be given a place in Bharath Governmental
activities, these protagonists fanatically advocate.
The South—especially Tamil Nad—raised the banner of
revolt against this Hindi Imperialism years ago, and
by the very many acts of self-sacrifice and suffering,
the Tamilians made the ruling party cry halt to their
hectic way.
Realising that compulsion would result in a chaos which
cannot be easily put down, the ‘prudent ones’ are today
following the easier way of infiltration and they chuckle
at this!
That section which knows but the ‘blunt way’ is enraged
at what it terms as the weak and vacillating policy
adopted by the Congress regime—but others endowed with
prudence and intelligence know for certain, that the
policy now adopted—is the best under the circumstances—slow
poisoning!!
Sri Prakasa, seasoned and astute politician that he
is, marches a step further and asks the Northerner to
learn one of the South Indian languages!
If the Governor of Bombay and men of his way of thinking,
hope to tickle the vanity of the southerner by this
suggestion, they are mightily mistaken. Some of them
pay handsome tributes to the Tamil language and at the
same time they place Hindi on the pedestal. We are reminded
of Paine’s remark.
“He pities the plumage, but forgets the dying bird”.
They know that the antipathy to Hindi, is not linguistic
fanaticism. The South resents Hindi, because that language
is pushed through for the sole purpose of annihilating
the National instinct inherent in the South. That Hindi
is after all a vehicle of North Indian Imperialism,
even teenagers know, and the fanatics of Hindi in the
upcountry do not mince matters—they are ready to parade
the purpose behind their policy.
There is a time limit for any tactics and we are afraid,
that the advice offered by men of Sri Prakasa’s way
of thinking is after all belated tactics. The South
knows the purpose behind the policy.
“Those who today oppose Hindi” argued the Finance Minister
of our State, “are the real enemies of Tamilians; for
by their insensible attitude, they are making it difficult,
almost impossible for Tamilians to get their due share
in the All India Services. Just as, those people who
refused to learn English, were left behind, so too,
the Tamilians if they are going to be so foolish as
to ignore or oppose Hindi are going to be pushed aside”.
Touch the right chord and you get the desired tune!—the
Finance-cum-Education Minister, seems to think. There
was almost a sneer in his argument.
Mr. Anbazhagan, rose up to ask, “Does that mean, Sir,
that Hindi today is the language of the Imperialist,
just as English was during the British regime?” The
Finance Minister prudently brushed aside this question
by saying, “those who think in terms of Tamil Nadu as
a separate entity are at liberty to call Hindi as the
language of the Imperialist.” The D.M.K was satisfied
for it was in the nature of an admission, almost a confession!
The Finance Minister did not deny the fact, that Hindi
is the language of the imperialist; he merely expressed
his willingness to stoop to it!
Just as the brutal onslaught of Hindi was opposed with
a mighty vigour, this policy of slow-poisoning also
is being oppossed by the entire Tamilian Nation—barring
of course that section which basks in the political
sunshine!
It needs no argument to prove that a Nation is welded
by language - and we the Tamilians do claim, that, though
we are chained to the chairot wheel of Delhi, are a
distinct Nation with a hoary past and are determined
to convince the Pandit about this great truth. True,
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, is furious and refuses to face
what he erroneously terms as fissiparous tendency.
This is not fissiparous tendency, but an honest and
heart-felt attempt at regaining the soul of a nation
fallen on bad days and bad tongues. We are confident
of convincing Pandit Nehru, about our just claim and
in the words of the Finance Minister of Madras, “We
are at liberty to hold the view that Hindi is the language
of the Imperialist.”
We now respectfully request the governor of Bombay to
say, whether we would be happy at the new policy—that
of slow poisoning—or whether our vanity would be tickled
by His Excellency’s other suggestion, “the Northerner
to learn one of the South Indian Languages.”
Sri Prakasa is an erudite scholar and knows history
and the lessons that that rich field of human activity
offers. Hence it is with confidence, we offer what
De Valera says, about the language problem.
“If I were leaving the scene to-morrow and was asked
what I would leave to the lrish people, or what I would
wish to the lrish nation, it would be: If you want to
continue to be lrish you must save the lrish language.”
(Editorial - 04-08-1957)