Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin stirred controversy on Thursday with a social media post accusing Hindi of erasing ancient Indian languages. He claimed that the push for a “monolithic Hindi identity” had led to the decline of several regional languages.
“How Many Indian Languages Has Hindi Swallowed?”
Addressing people from other states, Stalin listed languages such as Bhojpuri, Maithili, Awadhi, Braj, Bundeli, Garhwali, Kumaoni, Magahi, Marwari, Malvi, Chhattisgarhi, Santhali, Angika, Ho, Kharia, Khortha, Kurmali, Kurukh, and Mundari, saying they were now “gasping for survival” due to the dominance of Hindi.
He further claimed that Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were never just Hindi-speaking regions, but their “real languages” had been pushed to the margins. Tamil Nadu, he insisted, had always resisted Hindi imposition because “we know where this ends.”
Political Reactions
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw hit back at Stalin, accusing him of trying to divide society and making such claims to cover up poor governance in Tamil Nadu.
Meanwhile, Stalin, in a letter to DMK party members, argued that even political rivals of the DMK opposed Hindi imposition. He dismissed the three-language policy promoted by the BJP, saying that in reality, Hindi and Sanskrit are given priority in most states.
The debate over language politics in India remains heated, with strong opinions on both sides about the role of Hindi and regional languages in the country’s cultural and educational landscape.