New Volume on Tamil Nadu’s Anti-Hindi Movements Released by Chief Minister Stalin
Tamil Nadu CM releases historical agitation records.
Chief Minister MK Stalin officially launched the publication titled Anti-Hindi Agitation – Complete Government Documents during an event held at the state secretariat on Monday. The book, meticulously authored by A Vennila, who serves as Assistant Editor in the Tamil Nadu Archives and Historical Research Department, represents a significant archival effort, with Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu graciously receiving the first copy from the Chief Minister.
This new volume stands as an exhaustive and authoritative compilation of official government records related to the protracted anti-Hindi movements that shaped Tamil Nadu's linguistic and political landscape. Sources drawn from multiple departments—including public administration, law enforcement, and education—have been systematically organized in chronological order to offer readers a coherent and factual narrative of the era's events.
The documented timeline commences in 1927, coinciding with the initial mandate to introduce Hindi as a compulsory subject in schools within the erstwhile Madras Presidency, and extends through to 1967. It provides in-depth coverage of repeated attempts by successive central and state governments to enforce Hindi prominence, contrasted against determined opposition campaigns orchestrated by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), numerous Tamil cultural organizations, and mobilized student bodies.
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Key elements captured in the records encompass detailed accounts of law enforcement measures deployed to curb public demonstrations, tragic losses of life among protesters, documented cases of self-immolation as acts of extreme resistance, and previously restricted confidential correspondences. Additionally, the compilation reveals historical directives authorizing the destruction of certain sensitive documents, shedding light on administrative practices of the period.
The release of this scholarly work serves to underscore the profound historical impact of these agitations on evolving national language policies and the assertion of regional linguistic identity in Tamil Nadu. By making primary source materials accessible, it facilitates deeper academic research, public awareness, and preservation of an pivotal chapter in the state's modern history.
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