In 1937, Madras Premier S Rajagopalachari sounded the bugle for ‘Hindi’ and the first ‘anti-Hindi imposition’ stir upset the Tamil Street. 'Hindi imposition' thereafter did not raise its hydra-head till 1965. Now, there is another move at 'Hindi imposition' and the DMK is back to blackening Hindi signboards.

Targets include bank-boards and notices at railway stations and bus-stands, wherever there is ‘Devnagari’, there is also the darky and sticky tar! Chief Minister MK Stalin has challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three-language policy, which Stalin’s DMK has vowed to fight till the cows come home, a wholly Hindi saying that goes back to the now debunked Aryan invasion.

The story goes that the Aryans went back to worshipping the cow while the Dravidians didn't mind chewing on jerky, dried beef and buffalo meat. Is it a cultural thing? No, more like denying the existence of the other.

And 'Hindi imposition' and hate for Hindi are two sides of the same coin; 3000 to 4000 years of history. The Dravidians were driven out of their well-laid out habitats and the hot-boiling hatred hasn't ebbed.

'Hindi imposition' is seen as an excuse for something buried deep in the collective memory of the Dravidian psyche with ‘Vanakkam’ and ‘Namaste’ not telling the story as eloquently as ‘Poda patti’, which is 'get lost dog', and ‘Baagh yahan se’, which translates to 'Scram'.

Sure, call the Tamil a ‘madrasi’ and there will be an equally squalid word in Tamil reserved exclusively for the ‘Hindiwala’. Why don’t Hindi-speaking Indians not learn the Tamil language? Why doesn't Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath introduce Tamil in UP's government schools?

So, it isn't the three-language policy alone responsible. Like somebody put it, the tussle is an administrative deficiency, call it a trust deficit. Chief Minister MK Stalin and the DMK aren't ready to relent so long as suspicions remain that 'Hindi imposition' will keep rearing its head time and again, as often the 'Hindiwalas' want.

To be honest, trusting Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hazardous. Modi's staple is a 'lie a day', which is both cultural and political. Riding the Hindi tiger has its plusses. And Chief Minister MK Stalin, too, has political and cultural reasons to keep the gates shut on Hindi.

The Prime Minister and the Chief Minister, both of them, are prisoners to their own political and cultural compulsions. The Modi government went one step further: It gave an ultimatum to the Stalin government, with the demand to fall in line or face the consequences.

Accept the three-language policy or forget the Centre's contribution of over Rs 2000 crore as part of the New Education Policy (NEP) deal. This has added an edge to the deeply-rooted political and cultural battle. Chief Minister Stalin has called Modi's three-language formula 'Hindi imposition' and a violation of Tamil Nadu's linguistic autonomy.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan says Tamil Nadu has to "align with India's Constitution" and commit to the three-language policy, which translates to "my way or the highway", and Tamil Nadu says "no Hindi imposition" and commitment only to the two-language formula, which translates to "over my dead body!"

The anti-Hindi movement in Tamil Nadu is rooted in the Dravidian movement and linguistic autonomy is part and parcel of the Dravidian resistance to 'Hindi imposition'. Chief Minister Stalin says Tamil Nadu was "ready for another language war," linking it to Lok Sabha delimitation exercise, fear-mongering that Tamil Nadu was facing the "threat" of losing 8 Lok Sabha seats after the delimitation exercise.

Stalin says Tamil Nadu shouldn't have succumbed to pressure and successfully implemented the family planning programme that left its population stranded. The Chief Minister has called an all-party meet to discuss the delimitation as well as the three-language policy of the Modi government.

Stalin has called for Opposition unity, which is the Achilles heel of the opposition parties. Stalin has appealed for unity; for overcoming political differences and thwarting the Centre thwarting the Centre's "divisive agenda." BJP's Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai in turn charged Stalin with "trying to shift the narrative" by resorting to "imaginary fears".

The all-party meeting called by Stalin is scheduled to be held on March 5 and it will discuss the three-language policy, as well, along with National Education Policy, central funds and NEET. Stalin said delimitation is the Damocles Sword hanging over the southern states.

Tamil Nadu is leading in all development indices but faces the "threat" of losing out on Lok Sabha seats as post-delimitation, states' representation will be subject to population and because Tamil Nadu succeeded in population control, "she" stands to lose as many as 8 Lok Sabha seats.

The tally will come down from 39 seats to 31 seats. "Our representation will reduce, Tamil Nadu's voice will be stifled. This is a matter of Tamil Nadu's rights. All leaders and political parties should jointly speak across party lines on the issue," Stalin said, insisting that the "language war" was deeply divisive and that the "Centre was sowing the seeds for another language war." (IPA Service)