The debate in Tamil Nadu over alleged Hindi imposition gained fresh momentum after Madras High Court judge Justice Anand Venkatesh underlined the need to protect linguistic identity and recall the state’s historic language agitations. Speaking at a law college event, the judge stressed that resistance to language imposition has deep roots in Tamil Nadu’s social and political history.

Justice Venkatesh said a recent personal experience made him reflect on the fading awareness of the language movement among younger generations. Recalling watching the Tamil film Parasakthi with his son, he said he was taken aback when his son admitted he knew little about the state’s anti-Hindi agitations. The moment, he said, highlighted the responsibility of elders to pass on this history.

Clarifying his position, the judge said Tamils were not opposed to learning other languages and routinely did so, particularly English. However, he firmly rejected any attempt to impose a language, asserting that the pride and antiquity of Tamil made such imposition unacceptable. “Language is identity,” he remarked, stressing that learning should be by choice, not coercion.

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Justice Venkatesh also highlighted Tamil’s status as one of the world’s oldest living languages. Comparing it with Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and Sanskrit, he noted that Tamil and Chinese were among the few ancient languages still actively spoken, underscoring Tamil’s continuous cultural relevance.

He further expressed concern over declining student interest in studying Tamil, attributing it to a marks-driven education system and the growing emphasis on other second languages. With Assembly elections approaching, his remarks have added judicial weight to the ongoing political and cultural discourse around language, an issue long central to Tamil Nadu’s identity politics.

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