The Introduction of Hindi and Growth of Tamil Nationalism in Tamil Nadu

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The Introduction of Hindi and Growth of Tamil Nationalism in Tamil Nadu Vol 6 Issue 6 Dec 2016 ISSN No :2231-5063 InternationaORIGINALl M ARTICLEultidisciplinary Research Journal Golden Research Thoughts Chief Editor Dr.Tukaram Narayan Shinde Associate Editor Publisher Dr.Rajani Dalvi Mrs.Laxmi Ashok Yakkaldevi Honorary Mr.Ashok Yakkaldevi Welcome to GRT RNI MAHMUL/2011/38595 ISSN No.2231-5063 Golden Research Thoughts Journal is a multidisciplinary research journal, published monthly in English, Hindi & Marathi Language. All research papers submitted to the journal will be double - blind peer reviewed referred by members of the editorial board.Readers will include investigator in universities, research institutes government and industry with research interest in the general subjects. Regional Editor Dr. T. Manichander International Advisory Board Kamani Perera Mohammad Hailat Hasan Baktir Regional Center For Strategic Studies, Sri Dept. of Mathematical Sciences, English Language and Literature Lanka University of South Carolina Aiken Department, Kayseri Janaki Sinnasamy Abdullah Sabbagh Ghayoor Abbas Chotana Librarian, University of Malaya Engineering Studies, Sydney Dept of Chemistry, Lahore University of Management Sciences[PK] Romona Mihaila Ecaterina Patrascu Spiru Haret University, Romania Spiru Haret University, Bucharest Anna Maria Constantinovici AL. I. Cuza University, Romania Delia Serbescu Loredana Bosca Spiru Haret University, Bucharest, Spiru Haret University, Romania Ilie Pintea, Romania Spiru Haret University, Romania Fabricio Moraes de Almeida Anurag Misra Federal University of Rondonia, Brazil Xiaohua Yang DBS College, Kanpur PhD, USA George - Calin SERITAN Titus PopPhD, Partium Christian Faculty of Philosophy and Socio-Political ......More University, Oradea,Romania Sciences Al. I. Cuza University, Iasi Editorial Board Pratap Vyamktrao Naikwade Iresh Swami Rajendra Shendge ASP College Devrukh,Ratnagiri,MS India Ex - VC. Solapur University, Solapur Director, B.C.U.D. Solapur University, Solapur R. R. Patil N.S. Dhaygude Head Geology Department Solapur Ex. Prin. Dayanand College, Solapur R. R. Yalikar University,Solapur Director Managment Institute, Solapur Narendra Kadu Rama Bhosale Jt. Director Higher Education, Pune Umesh Rajderkar Prin. and Jt. Director Higher Education, Head Humanities & Social Science Panvel K. M. Bhandarkar YCMOU,Nashik Praful Patel College of Education, Gondia Salve R. N. S. R. Pandya Department of Sociology, Shivaji Sonal Singh Head Education Dept. Mumbai University, University,Kolhapur Vikram University, Ujjain Mumbai Govind P. Shinde G. P. Patankar Alka Darshan Shrivastava Bharati Vidyapeeth School of Distance S. D. M. Degree College, Honavar, Karnataka Shaskiya Snatkottar Mahavidyalaya, Dhar Education Center, Navi Mumbai Maj. S. Bakhtiar Choudhary Rahul Shriram Sudke Chakane Sanjay Dnyaneshwar Director,Hyderabad AP India. Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, Indore Arts, Science & Commerce College, Indapur, Pune S.Parvathi Devi S.KANNAN Ph.D.-University of Allahabad Annamalai University,TN Awadhesh Kumar Shirotriya Secretary,Play India Play,Meerut(U.P.) Sonal Singh, Satish Kumar Kalhotra Vikram University, Ujjain Maulana Azad National Urdu University Address:-Ashok Yakkaldevi 258/34, Raviwar Peth, Solapur - 413 005 Maharashtra, India Cell : 9595 359 435, Ph No: 02172372010 Email: [email protected] Website: www.aygrt.isrj.org GRT Golden Research Thoughts ISSN: 2231-5063 Impact Factor : 4.6052(UIF) Volume - 6 | Issue - 6 | December - 2016 THE INTRODUCTION OF HINDI AND GROWTH OF TAMIL NATIONALISM IN TAMIL NADU B. Daniel Ph.D. Research Scholar in History , Pachaiyappa’s College , Chennai. ABSTRACT Minister) on 14th July _ he Indian Natio- _ 1937. Along with Rajaji, n a l C o n g r e s s nine Ministers and ten _ a c c e p t e d t h e _ Parliamentary Secre- _ T _ advice of Gandhi on the taries also assumed l a n g u a g e p o l i c y . office.1 _ A c c o r d i n g l y , t h e _ Rajaji, speaking at a C o n g r e s s Wo r k i n g function organized by _ _ C o m m i t t e e , a t i t s Dakshina Bharat Hindi _ meeting held at Kanpur _ Prachar Sabha on 12th on 23rd December the trouble started once Hindi, Tamil, Somasun- July 1937, emphasized _ _ 1925, resolved that _ the study of Hindi was dara Bharathi, Umama- the importance of Hindi _ _ h e n c e f o r t h a l l i t s _ made compulsory in the heswaran ,Sathya- saying that “it would meetings should be secondary schools in _ m u r t h i , T r i c h y , enable South Indians to _ _ conducted both in Madras Presidency. _ Tirunelveli. u n d e r s t a n d N o r t h Hindustani and English. Rajaji declared that the _ Indians better than at _ _ Sarojini Naidu, in her study of Hindi would be INTRODUCTION : present, that Hindi _ _ presidential address to _ made compulsory in The Government of w o u l d b e f o u n d the fourth session of schools. C.N.Annadurai, _ India Act of 1935 necessary in business _ _ the All-India Hindi registered his protest _ provided for a Federal and politics in India and _ Conference at Madras in against the announce- Government at the _ _ that he was of the December 1927, said: ment of Rajaji regarding _ Centre and Provincial opinion that Hindi could _ _ Governments at the “You cannot unify a the compulsory study of _ be made a compulsory nation by one dress; but Hindi. For a while, the Provinces with a large subject in schools.”2 _ _ you can do so by one _ Justicites and the Self- measure of autonomy. T h e i r f e a r w a s _ _ language. It is only when _ Respectors made an The Congress partici- strengthened by the there is one language, attractive appeal to non- _ pated in the general language policy pursued _ _ that the country will be Brahmins on racial and _ elections held in 1937. In by Rajaji ministry soon _ free.” Gandhi, earnestly communal lines which the Madras Presidency, _ after it was formed in _ undertook an experi- paved the way for the Congress won 159 July 1937. Rajaji vaguely _ _ ment of spreading the _ cementing the forces of seats. C.Rajagopala- outlined the language Hindi language to South regionalism as well as _ chari, respectfully called policy at a meet, and at _ _ I n d i a . T h u s t h e Tamil nationalism. _ Rajaji, became the the press session two _ leader of the Congress _ propagation of Hindi _ d a y s b e f o r e t h e with its projected KEYWORDS:Governmen _ Legislature Party and formation of ministry on _ objectives was moving _ t, Gandhi, Rajaji, E.V. assumed charge as _ 12th July 1937. At that on the desired lines. But P r e m i e r ( P r i m e Ramasamy, D.M.K., _ meeting, he stressed the _ _ Available online at www.lsrj.in 1 THE INTRODUCION OF HINDI AND GROWTH OF TAMIL NATIONALISM IN TAMIL NADU Volume - 6 | Issue - 6 | December - 2016 need for a common language and he favoured Hindi to be the lingua franca of the country.3 On 10th August, participating in a meeting held at Ramakrishna Students Home, Madras, Rajaji declared that the study of Hindi would be made compulsory in schools. Sathyamurthi, a veteran Congress leader, said that the study of Sanskrit should also be made compulsory along with Hindi to establish ‘Ramrajya’ and to safeguard Varnashrma Dharma. This language policy of the Congress was based on Gandhi’s concept of Swadeshi, which was to replace English by Hindi as the common language of the country.4 OBJECTION TO HINDI The next day after Rajaji’s announcement on the introduction of compulsory Hindi, The Madras Mail, leading English daily in an editorial entitled “Nothing in Haste”, warned the Premier against implementing the new proposal without the proper examination of their outcome. It also questioned whether any North Indian Ministry would propose to compel the Hindi-speaking children to learn a South Indian vernacular in order to bring their educational tasks to be equal to those of the school children of the South.5 C.N.Annadurai, who later became the founder leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (D.M.K.) and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, registered his protest against the announcement of Rajaji regarding the compulsory study of Hindi. At the Self-Respect Movement Conference held at Duraiyur in Tiruchi District on 27th August 1937, Annadurai, in his presidential address, made an appeal to the Tamils to oppose compulsory study of Hindi to safeguard their language and culture.6 On the same day in a specially organized meeting, under the presidentship of a leading lawyer Venkatachalam, at Karanthai Tamil Sangam in Thanjavur Distict, well- known Tamil scholars, T.V.Uma Maheswaran, J.M.Somasundaram Pillai, and S.Kuppusamy spoke condemning the introduction of Hindi. On 29th August 1937, under the patronage of the Tamil Academy of Thiruvaiyaru, students and teachers led by S.Govindasamy Pillai and Somasundara Desikar have taken a procession opposing Hindi. Thus both places Karanthai and Thiruvaiyaru are in Thanjavur District.7 Following the events in Thanjavur District, protest meetings were organized in quick succession in Madras and other places. On 5th September, Annadurai addressed a gathering at Soundarya Mahal, Madras with Somasundara Bharathi in chair and explained the reasons for opposing Hindi. Maraimalai Adigal, a great Tamil scholar and saint, in a meeting held at Gokhale Hall, Madras, on 4th October, compared the richness and antiquity of Tamil language and literature with those of the literary heritage of Hindi and called upon the Tamils to prepare themselves for the struggle against Hindi.
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