It is beyond comprehension what made home minister Amit Shah to dig out the language ghost from the tomb. The contentious issue of language was settled long back, after the fierce “language war” of 20th century. State’s fight against Hindi imposition didn’t start with Chief Minister MK Stalin or even his father, M Karunanidhi. Tamil Nadu had opposed any move to impose Hindi which symbolised endangering the Tamilian identity.

Apparently RSS and BJP have been engaged in war of supremacy in recent months, but an insight would reveal that it was primarily of the nature of “Noora Kusti” (collusive wrestling) than a real fight. RSS simply intended to diktat Narendra Modi and force him follow its political line. In the case of language, Modi has been toeing the line of RSS. Imposition of Hindi on southern states is the main ingredient of RSS’s programme of “one nation one language” like its “one nation one election”.

The RSS is not at all ready to see the BJP getting defeated at the polls. Notwithstanding its differences with Modi-Amit and other leaders, it has been deploying its cadres to ensure the victory of BJP candidates. Obviously it implied that winning the election is of dire importance for RSS than wrecking the boat in the electoral waters. A win for BJP will help RSS to expand more and have a deep penetration in the Hindu society. The slogan of one nation one language will send the message across India, that Hindus are communal in nature and they are the support base of the saffron ecosystem.

The RSS has been striving hard to bring the OBCs, Dalits and EBCs in its fold across the country. The tribal belts of the country are at their target. In the last assembly elections they have won seats in the tribal dominated regions obviously sending the message that the tribals and SC identify with the Hindus of the country. But in southern states they have keeping away from the saffron brigade and this has prevented the BJP from winning the seats and asserting their political presence in these states.

Sudden tossing up this issue by saffron ecosystem primarily owes to its poor electoral performance in southern states, especially losing electoral battle of Karnataka, the state which RSS and BJP considered to be their strongest bastion. They had pinned their hopes of performing miracle in Telangana. But there too they failed. In fact RSS leadership for nearly three years has been seriously engaged in doing introspection as to why they were not spreading. While the RSS was spreading fast in other states, its performance was pitiable in southern states.

MK Stalin on Sunday chaired a meeting of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MPs on the issues of delimitation and National Education Policy, and resolved to bring together parties from “affected states” to “resist attempts that penalise population control”. Stalin will also involve INDIA bloc and other democratic forces to uphold Tamil Nadu's rights on delimitation. He made it clear that Tamil Nadu will not tolerate 'Hindi colonialism' replacing British colonialism. Accusing education minister Dharmendra Pradhan of provoking the state by threatening it to accept Hindi imposition, he said "The tree may prefer calm, but the wind will not subside. Pradhan has provoked us to write this series of letters when we were simply doing our job.” He said: "The biggest irony is that Tamil Nadu, which rejects NEP, has already achieved many of its goals, which the policy aims to reach only by 2030. This is like an LKG student lecturing a PhD holder.”

In Maharashtra, where it helped the BJP in significant manner to win the assembly election, its support was on decline. Insiders confess that if the election commission had not helped the BJP, it was beyond comprehension to achieve this kind of massive mandate. The Maratha culture and social relations have been major obstruction in the path of expansion of saffron brigade in the state. They confess that RSS and BJP are a force, but they need an ally to perform. They compare the electoral scenario with that of Bihar, where it needed Nitish to win the elections for coming to power.

Besides the electoral compulsions, the RSS and BJP have failed to penetrate the Hindu society, as they have done in Hindi speaking eastern states. It is indeed the averseness of the Hindus towards Hindutva that has been shocking for them. The sub nationality factor has been the main reason for keeping the OBCs and Dalits away from the saffron politics of communalising the society. But they are at loss to make out why the upper caste Hindus are also opposed to them. RSS and BJP embarking on the political line of one nation one language is a move to motivate the communal and nationalist feelings.

If the Hindus subscribe to the RSS line, it would be easier for it spread. Saffron ecosystem desires to send the message across that “We are One India”. The ethos of diversity does not suit them, It would endanger and jeopardise their mission of Hindu Rashtra. Except RSS and BJP communal fanatics and bhakts none else will accept. India is a highly diverse nation and people across the world admire India for its plural character.

It is an open secret that the BJP and RSS regime have been striving on one India one culture and one language to make India Hindu Rashtra. They do want one India no doubt but in their case the uniting factor would not be Indian constitution, they want to unite on the basis of Hindu religion. RSS has been, from its birth opposed to diversity and hated the constitution that made every Indian equal. RSS protested, burnt effigy of Ambedkar and said there is nothing Indian in the constitution.

Amit Shah, certainly not the politician having higher order of political acumen, deliberately pitched for 'One Nation, One Language' on Hindi Day. As usual he wanted to use the body and administrative power to see it through. If he really serious and respected the sentiment of the people of the southern states, he would have resorted to some kind of persuasive mechanism.

The RSS and BJP can go to any extent to win the elections. If their desperation forces them to worship Krishna in Mathura, they are also too inclined to worship Jarasandha in Bihar. Historically Jarasandha was the enemy of Krishna. It was Jarasandha’s systematic invasion of Mathura, Krishna's birthplace a city in Uttar Pradesh, that forced Krishna and his Yadav clan to migrate to Dwaraka, a coastal city in modern-day Gujarat, where he founded his kingdom.

RSS and BJP can resort to any kind of politics for mere electoral gains. In Maharashtra senior RSS leader Bhaiyyaji Joshi only two days back gave rise to a controversy by asserting that knowing Marathi was not necessary to live in Mumbai. His remark coincided with the raging language row that has divided India's north and the south. Earlier RSS joint general secretary Arun Kumar had said that faith in 'One nation, one people' should be the only driving force behind the people of this country.

Joshi further said: “Mumbai doesn't have a single language. Each part of Mumbai has a different language. The Ghatkopar area's language is Gujarati. So if you are residing in Mumbai, it is not necessary that you have to learn Marathi". Interestingly Maharashtra minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha was present on stage during Joshi's speech. (IPA Service)