Tamil Nadu is once again at loggerheads with the BJP-led union government over the perceived imposition of Hindi in southern states. The DMK-led Tamil Nadu government has accused the Modi government of withholding over Rs 2,000 crores meant for the state after it rejected the three-language formula proposed in the NEP.
The resistance to alleged imposition of Hindi in Tamil Nadu is not a domain championed by the DMK alone. Its rival, the AIADMK, has also always stood its ground against Hindi imposition despite its alliance with the BJP.
Tamil Nadu’s history of thwarting any alleged attempts of pushing Hindi onto the state dates back to almost a century. Proponents of the anti-Hindi resistance insist their fight is about protecting the Tamil identity.
In this week’s episode of Let Me Explain, Pooja Prasanna looks back at how Tamilians have fought Hindi imposition tooth and nail since at least 1937. She also explains why forcefully making states like Tamil Nadu learn Hindi is perceived as a threat to the Dravidian identity.
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