India Insights: Languages in Conflict - The Politics of Hindi in a Multilingual India

In a country that speaks over 1,600 languages with 22 official languages, India grapples with a difficult situation, reminding itself that Hindi, even though spoken by most people in the country, is not the national language.

The central government's ongoing promotion of Hindi as a unifying national language has ignited significant resistance, particularly in non-Hindi-speaking southern states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Critics argue that this push for Hindi dominance threatens the nation's rich linguistic diversity and undermines regional identities.

In a recent resurfacing of a bitter language dispute, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin, a Tamil-speaking state which has historically condemned the imposition of Hindi on the state, have gone back and forth with taunts.

While addressing a rally in Tamil Nadu a few weeks ago, Modi took a jab at leaders of the state’s ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party, questioning the sincerity of their linguistic pride.

“These ministers from Tamil Nadu speak loudly about their love for the Tamil language,” he remarked, “yet they write letters to me in English. Why don’t they use Tamil? Where is their Tamil pride?”

This escalating tension raises a fundamental question: can a multilingual nation like India function cohesively when one language is given prominence over others?

The Roots Of The Language Conflict

India’s language dispute is not a recent phenomenon. It can be traced back to the British colonial period when the Hindi-Urdu controversy first erupted. As the tensions between the Hindus and the Muslims in the sub-continent intensified during this period, the need for a separate Muslim nation (Pakistan) also paved the way to a bitter language stand-off. Urdu, written in the Perso-Arabic script and associated with Muslim elites, was pitted against Hindi, written in the Devanagari script and promoted by Hindu reformist groups. These tensions led to language politics where Hindi, being spoken by the majority, gained momentum.

 Since India’s independence from the British, states in the country were drawn up based on linguistic lines. However, the declaration of Hindi as the official language in the Indian Constitution with a 15-year transition period during which English would also be used for official purposes, was met with resistance. This led to the Official Languages Act of 1963, allowing the continued use of English indefinitely, preventing the exclusive imposition of Hindi.

During this period of resistance, the strongest opposition came from the state of Tamil Nadu. where anti-Hindi sentiment had already gained ground as early as 1938. Protests intensified in 1965, when the central government planned to phase out English. The resulting anti-Hindi agitations, led by C. N. Annadurai (the first Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu) and the Dravidian movement, turned violent and forced the Centre to backtrack.

These historical moments continue to shape India’s complex relationship with language.

Contemporary Resistance In The South

Today, this language debate has taken on a renewed urgency, not only in Tamil Nadu, but other South Indian states like Kerala and Karnataka as well. Kerala’s Left Democratic Front (LDF) and Karnataka’s regional leaders have also voiced strong opposition to making Hindi compulsory in education or administrative affairs, often arguing that such policies threaten India’s federal fabric.

This resistance is also gaining momentum in the digital space where hashtags like #StopHindiImposition, #MyLanguageMyRight, and #TamilIsMyIdentity routinely trend on social media platforms, fueled by youth activists, regional influencers, and political leaders alike. These digital movements have mobilized thousands, particularly during national education policy announcements or when government officials prioritize Hindi in public communication.

Together, these forms of resistance to the imposition of Hindi mean something bigger – it means self-preservation and a growing assertion of regional identity—a reminder that for many in the South, language is not merely a means of expression, but a statement of autonomy and pride.

Economic & Political Dimensions

The language politics in India are one of the key factors facilitating the growing North-South divide. India’s ruling party – The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has a strong hold on the North-Indian states where Hindi is mostly spoken. However, it has consistently struggled to secure significant electoral victories in southern states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and to a lesser extent, Karnataka. These states often prefer regional parties, such as the DMK in Tamil Nadu or the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala, that emphasize local languages, cultures, and resistance to northern dominance.

Economically, the southern states have often contributed better than the northen states when it comes to the GDP of India. Yet, there is a growing perception in the South that central policies—including the distribution of tax revenues and federal aid—tend to favor less-developed northern states, many of which are predominantly Hindi-speaking. This has contributed to a sense of fiscal injustice and cultural marginalization, deepening regional resentment.

Language isn’t just about communication; it’s about access too. As Hindi continues to gain prominence in government institutions, many non-Hindi speakers worry they’re being pushed to the margins. For millions across southern India—especially those from rural or lower-income backgrounds who speak their regional languages, this shift isn’t just frustrating; it feels exclusionary. It creates hurdles where there shouldn't be any, widening the gap between regions that already feel left behind.

At its heart, the fight over language is a fight over representation.

While the central government’s intentions of promoting Hindi might come with the idea of strengthening the unity of the diverse nation, it risks doing exactly the opposite. In a country as diverse as India, national integration cannot come at the cost of cultural erasure. Instead, the government must come up with ways in which India’s diversity is celebrated because there is unity in diversity.

For thousands of years, India has stayed united while it celebrates multilingualism. To truly foster national cohesion, India must embrace inclusive language policies and look to reform the recent National Education Policy (NEP) that has caused a row with Tamil Nadu.

Only by acknowledging every language as equally valuable can India move toward a future where everyone coexists and also thrives together.