India's language war: Hindi sparking a north-south divide

Addressing a rally in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu last weekend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi mocked leaders from the state government of the regional Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party.

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“These ministers from Tamil Nadu talk about pride in their language but always write letters to me and sign off in English. Why don’t they use the Tamil language?” he said, adding “Where is their Tamil pride?”

t was no ordinary barb. Modi’s government is locked in a bitter language dispute with the Tamil Nadu government of Chief Minister MK Stalin over accusations that New Delhi is trying to impose Hindi on schools in the southern state – a charge that the federal administration denies.

The war of words between New Delhi and Chennai, Tamil Nadu’s capital, has escalated into a series of street protests and accusations that the Modi government is holding back education funds from the state. Against the backdrop of a long – at times violent – history of agitations against Hindi in the state, Stalin has issued ominous warnings.

“I warn the [Modi government], do not throw stones at a beehive,” Stalin said, addressing a state event in February. “Don’t aspire to see the unique fighting spirit of the Tamils.”

So what’s the spat about? Is the Modi government trying to force Tamil children to learn Hindi? And why is Hindi so divisive – at least in Tamil Nadu?

At the heart of the dispute is India’s National Education Policy, first introduced in 1968 and recently updated in 2020.

The original policy mandated a three-language formula. Hindi-speaking states in northern India were required to teach Hindi, English and a third Indian language in school – preferably a language from southern India. Non-Hindi-speaking states needed to teach the local language, Hindi and English.