The Anti-Hindi agitations denote the sustained political and popular resistance in Tamil-speaking regions of South India against the compulsory introduction of Hindi, first as a school subject and later as the Union's sole official language. The movement unfolded in two principal phases. The first erupted in 1937–40 when C. Rajagopalachari's Congress ministry in the Madras Presidency made Hindi compulsory in secondary schools, provoking protests led by E. V. Ramasamy 'Periyar' and the Justice Party; two agitators, Thalamuthu and Natarajan, died, and Periyar was jailed. The order was withdrawn in February 1940 by Governor Erskine. The second and more decisive phase came in 1965, when Tamil Nadu rose against the constitutional schedule under which Hindi was to replace English as the sole official language of the Union.
The constitutional basis lies in Part XVII of the Constitution. Article 343 declares Hindi in Devanagari script the official language of the Union, while permitting the continued use of English for fifteen years from commencement — that is, until 26 January 1965. Article 351 directs the Union to promote the spread of Hindi, and the Eighth Schedule lists the recognised languages. Anticipating the 1965 deadline, the Official Languages Act, 1963 was enacted, but its ambiguous wording — that English 'may' continue — alarmed non-Hindi states. As the deadline arrived on 26 January 1965, Tamil Nadu erupted in violent agitation led by the DMK and student bodies; police firing killed scores, and at least two activists, including Chinnasamy, self-immolated.
The agitation's consequences reshaped Indian federalism and language policy. Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri offered assurances, and the crisis precipitated the Official Languages (Amendment) Act, 1967, which guaranteed the indefinite continuation of English as an associate official language alongside Hindi, effectively entrenching a 'virtual indefinite' policy of bilingualism. The three-language formula, articulated by the Kothari Commission and the National Policy on Education, sought a compromise, though Tamil Nadu rejected it and retains a two-language formula (Tamil and English). Politically, the 1965 agitation propelled the DMK to power, ousting the Congress in the 1967 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections under C. N. Annadurai and inaugurating Dravidian dominance that continues into 2026. The language question recurs whenever Hindi imposition is alleged, as in debates over the New Education Policy 2020.
For the UPSC examination, the Anti-Hindi agitation is core to Post-Independence India (GS Paper I) and to Polity (GS Paper II) under official language provisions. Candidates must master Articles 343–351, the distinction between the 1963 and 1967 Official Languages Acts, the significance of the 1965 deadline, and the role of Periyar, Annadurai, and the DMK. Typical question angles include the federal implications of language policy, the difference between 'official' and 'national' language (India has no national language), the three-language formula, and the agitation as a catalyst for regional party consolidation. Prelims may test the year of the Official Languages Act or the Eighth Schedule, while Mains essays examine linguistic federalism and unity in diversity.
Example
In January 1965, as English's fifteen-year term under Article 343 expired, DMK-led students across Madras State launched violent protests against Hindi imposition, forcing Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri to reaffirm English's continued use.
Frequently asked questions
Article 343 made Hindi the Union's official language while allowing English for fifteen years from 26 January 1950. The expiry of this term on 26 January 1965 raised fears that Hindi would become the sole official language, sparking the agitation in Madras State.