The massive and uncompromising opposition to the repeated attempts to impose one language—Hindi—on the country has a long tradition in Tamil Nadu. Recent, aggressive attempts by the Hindutva regime to force Hindi upon all the people of the Indian Union have brought the Tamil resistance into particular focus. But this resistance has a long history. This book by the prominent Tamil politician and leader of the anti-Hindi agitation—first written in 1966, revised in 1993, and updated posthumously in 2023-24— traces the history of the movement; its origins and its impact on Tamil politics and India’s federal structure.

The high point of this movement was in the 1960s, when ‘an army of students rose in revolt’ against the North-centric Central government. But, as this book shows, its beginnings go back to the 1930s, when Rajaji assumed office as the chief minister of Madras Presidency and introduced Hindi as a compulsory subject in schools. The Dravida Kazhagam launched an agitation against this in 1938 under the leadership of E.V.R. Periyar. The opposition and struggle continues to this day and is central to Tamil politics.

This passionate book is a record of the long struggle against what the anti-Hindi activists see as an attempt to erode democracy and diversity. It is an essential read for everyone interested in the political history of the Indian Union.