Vol 5 No 2 | Jul-Sep 2025

The First Language War

Story by CG Salamander | Art by Kruttika Susarla

The Struggle Continues

The Anti-Hindi Agitation in Tamil Nadu was a series of protests by people in Tamil Nadu who didn’t want to learn or use the Hindi language. It started in the 1930s when the Indian government wanted Hindi to be the national language. Many people in Tamil Nadu felt that their own language, Tamil, was being ignored. The biggest protest happened in 1965, when the government tried to make Hindi the only language used in schools and offices. People went on hunger strikes, and many students and leaders joined the protests. Protests also took place in 1940, 1965, 1986, 2006 and most recently in 2025. These protests helped protect Tamil culture and the Tamil language. As a result of which, Tamil remained safe from being replaced by Hindi.

Tamil Nadu’s resistance to Hindi imposition:

https://www.thenewsminute.com/tamil-nadu/history-anti-hindi-imposition-movements-tamil-nadu-102983