Amit Shah’s remark turns Hindi Divas into #StopHindiImposition

Amit Shah reignited the “One nation, one language” debate as he said, “Only Hindi can unite this country.” This statement is itself divisive in nature, as is the opinion of many people from southern and north-eastern states where Hindi was never completely accepted as the official language.

Speaking to people across the nation, here is how the statement is being seen by people who are not from the heartland.

Aswath, 20, from Chennai says: “I don’t think it is necessary, as language should be a choice. In the south or north east, where Hindi is not normally spoken, to force it upon people is wrong. Not knowing a particular language has never been a barrier to communication, and that is the beauty of communication itself.”

Anirudh, 20, from Chennai says: “I think the concept of ‘India’ as one nation was born not because we were united by one language. It arose because regardless of language we faced the same struggles by a comman oppressor. I don't think as a person from Tamil Nadu I'd want to learn Hindi. Hindi as long as it's a choice its fine but the moment I starts to become the Indian identity then we begin to lose ours. One of the major talking points during the jalikattu process was this.”

Sinu Parveen, 19, Kozhikode, Kerala says: “I don't think we need an official language for our country. There are many languages in India and Hindi is just one among them. And many people don't know Hindi especially in southern areas. They have got their own mother tongue. Making Hindi as official language doesn't make any sense because there is a significant population of Indians who don't identify with the language.”

Kumar Ankush, says: “ Linguistic autonomy is very intrinsic to social justice politics.”

Nachiappan, 48, says, “Although learning another language is not a bad thing, Southern states have been revolting something of this sort from the 50s. Political figures like Periyaar, Anna, DMK, AIADMK have all opposed it since it is arbitrary to enforce Dravidian people, who have their own culture and identity; to learn a language that is not at all familiar to them.

“To say Hindi is India, will be disassociating from our own nativity. It can be a second language, but not compulsorily. For the last 60 years, us Tamilians hold our Tamil as a sign of pride.”

Subhajit, 25, from Assam says, “National identity cannot be established with a language. Our country is diverse, and it should remain such. The government is imposing Hindi in the name of Nationalism, without realising that even many Hindus do not speak Hindi; they are precluding other Indians from feeling Indian on the basis of a language.”

“The Prime Minister speaking in Hindi wherever he goes, the Bharat written in Hindi on Vikram landing, writing in Hindi prominently on notes, and other languages in the smallest font. To promote an idea that if you are an Indian you must know Hindi, otherwise, you are not properly Indian is awfully wrong for a country,” he added.

However, some people see this as a chance to grow and learn too.

Shankar, 47, from Chennai thinks: “My opinion is that when we have significant population migrating both ways, both the cultures will learn from the others and grow. I do not see the actions of the government as an imposition, more as a bungled attempt at pushing the Hindi language.”

On Twitter, however, #StopHindiImposition trends, here are a select few tweets: