Knowledge of languages is the doorway to wisdom, say the wise. It is also a doorway to job opportunities in the changed world where job-seekers go places all over the world.

However, the language always played a disruptive role in many countries. In our country, it was first ignited in 1937 when Chakravarti Rajagopalachari (Rajaji) became the first Chief Minister of Madras Presidency under Indian National Congress (INC) party. He introduced Hindi as a compulsory subject of teaching in schools. This led to the first agitation against Hindi imposition by Dravidar Kazhagam (DK) leader Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy (Periyar).

Anticipating an independent India, Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru wanted to propagate Hindi in non-Hindi speaking provinces of India. It could be under an impression that Hindi as a language could be a uniting force of the country and could also be made the official language of the country.

After all, a great majority of North India speaks Hindi and people in different North Indian States easily understand the language as their mother tongues are largely similar to Hindi. No wonder they have no objection to Hindi.

Even in South India vehement and sometimes violent protests took place only in Tamil Nadu. To begin with, the idea of making Hindi a compulsory language forcefully was not acceptable to Periyar. He viewed it as an attempt to make Tamils subordinate to North Indians. All hell broke loose. Anti-Hindi agitation got such a momentum the potential rage turned kinetic so much so in 1967 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) came to power with C.N. Annadurai as Chief Minister. Thereafter, the Dravidian parties of TN never looked back. Today M.K. Stalin of DMK is the king. And wants to continue in that position after the scheduled 2026 Assembly elections.

Elections in a democracy are fought not on issues that would do greatest good to the greatest number but on populist, emotional issues.

Therefore, the most decisive issues in the 2026 Assembly elections in TN would be language and delimitation of the Constituencies. M.K. Stalin has already raised these two issues and also all other parties, including the newly formed Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party of film hero Vijay.

This leaves BJP headed by that fire-brand former IPS Officer K. Annamalai alone, being isolated even from its only ally Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK).

M.K. Stalin seems to have a strong point, considering the geography and demography of different States and districts in the country, when he says that the number of seats should not be determined solely by the population. The Centre should consider this demand positively before the 2026 elections. It has, however, made appropriate course corrections as for “imposition” of Hindi is concerned and wiser counsel may prevail about accepting the revised National Education Policy (NEP).

If all is fair in love and war, how can one expect the Dravidian parties in the election war to be fair to the revisions and assurance made by BJP on the question of Hindi and delimitation? All the Tamil Dravidian parties will attack BJP as anti-Tamil Nadu party. Only a miracle can bring BJP candidates to the 2026 Assembly in Tamil Nadu.

The importance of language can never be underplayed in any country. In 1971, Bangladesh was created on the basis of language, Bangla language, as against Urdu being imposed by Pakistan, apart from the electoral reason. For the Second World War too, one of the pretexts was also the language. Separation of German-speaking areas in Czechoslovakia and Poland. Same with Russia and Ukraine now. However, in administering a country, there must be “cohesion” and for this reason there must be an “official” language. In a country like India, it could be English and Hindi if one places the interest of the country above power and politics.

Imagine, even America, generally considered an English-speaking nation like England has language problem. Now with Donald Trump at the helm, he is determined to make English the official language of America. Being a country characterised by immigration from all over the world, with immigrants speaking different languages, a common language fosters national cohesion, says Trump.

The provocation for Trump’s thinking is the 1990 Presidential mandate under the then US President Bill Clinton requiring Federal Agencies and those receiving Federal funding to provide “aid to non-English speakers.” It was not surprising that I had seen Hispanic and English sign boards in some Railway Stations in the US. Let it be.

When India, Bharat, was under the rule of over 500 Hindu Rajas and Maharajas, thereafter under the rule of Muslim Sultans and Mughals followed by British, there were no linguistic States like now. People spoke different languages under different rulers but there used to be one dominant language in each Sultanate or  Rajya. After independence, linguistic States were created and are working well.

Here, we must also remember that it was Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel who brought together a country fragmented on the basis of British Provinces, Princely States and Sultanates when the British left. It was a monumental task for country’s unity. That unity should not be torn asunder fighting in the name of languages.

But, one or two all India languages and the mother tongue, under the three-language formula of NEP (English +Hindi+State language), would be in the interest of fostering  national cohesion. After all, language is identity, world over. This will help the job-seekers not only anywhere in India but also in the world.

And if Tamil Nadu does not want to teach Hindi in their  schools and colleges, so be it. It could well be in the interest of the unity of the nation. However, those people in Tamil Nadu, who wish to venture out into the wide world seeking jobs and fortunes, can in any case learn Hindi privately. And in Tamil Nadu, there are so many private Hindi teaching schools called the “Dakshina Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha” imparting education in Hindi.

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