DMK President and chief minister M K Stalin on Sunday hailed the "Languge Martyrs" of the state who sacrificied their lives during the anti-Hindi agitation in the past and asserted that there was "no place" for the language here forever.
Paying tributes on the occasion of Language Martyrs Day, he said, "a state that loved its language like its life, unitedly struggled against Hindi imposition; protested with the same intensity every time it was imposed." "Language Martyrs Day; there is no place for Hindi then, now and forever (in TN)," the Dravidian party chief said in a social media post.
He shared a brief video of the history related to the anti-Hindi agitation, which peaked during 1965, that included references to the 'martyrs,' besides the contributions of late DMK stalwarts, CN Annadurai and M Karunanidhi in the language issue.
Tamil Nadu, by leading the anti-Hindi agitation, "safeguarded the right and identity of various linguistic national races in the sub-continent," Stalin added.
"I pay my grateful respects to those martyrs who gave their precious lives for Tamil. No more life will be lost in the language war; our love for Tamil will never die! We shall oppose Hindi imposition forever. #LanguageMartyrsDay #StopHindiImposition," the CM said.
Language Martyrs’ Day is observed every year on January 25 to remember those who lost their lives resisting compulsory Hindi, particularly during the anti-Hindi movements of the 1930s and the mass agitation of 1965. These movements arose from fears that enforcing Hindi in education and administration would marginalise Tamil and weaken regional autonomy.
The 1965 agitation, marked by widespread student participation and public protests across Tamil Nadu, resulted in several deaths and left an indelible mark on the state’s collective memory. The agitation also reshaped national language policy.
Following sustained protests in Tamil Nadu, the Union government assured that English would continue as an associate official language along with Hindi, a compromise that helped ease tensions and reinforced India’s multilingual character.
Till this day, the southern state follows the Two Language formula--Tamil and English, even as the DMK has been alleging Hindi imposition through the Centre's NEP 2020.
Later in the day, the chief minister is scheduled to unveil the statues of Thalamuthu and Natarasan at the Thalamuthu-Natarasan Mansion complex in Egmore. The unveiling is expected to draw students, language activists, and representatives of various organisations.
By leading the observance, CM Stalin reaffirmed the Dravidian movement’s long-held position that linguistic rights are integral to social justice, self-respect, and India’s federal spirit -- principles that continue to shape Tamil Nadu’s political and cultural identity.