Remembering
the 1965 Anti Hindi Struggle
Kellapaluvur
Chinnasamy, Kodambakkam Sivalingam
And
Veerukkambakkam Aranganathan
'Thannai
Velvan Tharani Velvan'
27 January 2008
"It is claimed
that Hindi should be common language because it is spoken by the majority. Why
should we then claim the tiger as our national animal instead of the rat which
is so much more numerous? Or the peacock as our national bird when the crow is
ubiquitous? ...A man had two dogs - a big one and a small one. He wanted his
dogs to go in and out of the house freely without him having to keep the house
door open all the time. So he built two "trap doors" - one big trap
door for the big dog and one small for the small dog. Neighbors who saw these
two doors laughed at him and called him an idiot. Why put a big door and a
small door? All that was needed was the big door. Both the big and the small
dog could use it! Indian government's arguments for making Hindi the official
or link language of India is as ridiculous as the need for a big door and a
small door for the big dog and the small dog. Indian government agrees that
English is needed for communication with the world, and every school in India
teaches English after the fifth grade. Then the Indian government says that all
of us should know Hindi also in order to communicate amongst ourselves within
India. I ask, "Since every school in India teaches English, why it can’t
be our link language? Why do Tamils have to study English for communication
with the world and Hindi for communications within India? Do we need a big door
for the big dog and a small door for the small dog? I say, let the small dog
use the big door too!" C N
Annadurai, 1962
Passions of the Tongue: Language Devotion in
Tamil India, 1891-1970 Sumathi Ramaswamy - It was a quiet, cool January dawn in
the South-Indian city of Tiruchirapalli in the year 1964. A can in his hand, a
man named Chinnasami left his home—leaving behind his aging mother, young wife,
and infant daughter—and walked to the city’s railway station. On reaching
there, he doused himself with its contents and set himself on fire, shouting
out aloud, “inti olika! tamiḻ vālka!” (Death to Hindi! May Tamil flourish!).
Chinnasami’s
example was not lost. A year later, to the date, history repeated itself but
not necessarily as farce: five other men burned themselves alive “at the altar
of Tamil.” Three others died just as painfully—not in a raging blaze, but by
swallowing insecticide—also for the sake of Tamil, they declared in their own
last words...]
I am enclosing in pdf format a Digital Banner
which Dravida Peravai party men in Coimbatore, Sivagangai and other Districts
are planning to display in Karaikal on 25 January 2008.
The Karaikal Union
Territory Struggle Group will hold meetings to recall the sacrifices of
numerous Tamil scholars, DMK cadres and leaders, Union Ministers of Congress
including C.Subramanian and O.V.Alagesan who resigned in protest, and the brave
youth who committed self immolation in the Anti Hindi Struggle of January 1965.
The hunt for
collecting pictures of all martyrs proved to be a daunting task. In the whole
world LTTE alone sets a trend of honouring all its martyrs.
Even in the Indian freedom struggle such
nobility which impels us to accord due recognition to all martyrs seems to be
absent. The victory was laid at the doors of Mahatma Gandhi. Though they played
a greater role, there is no equal recognition of the sacrifices of Indian
National Army led by Nethaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
The 562 princely
states were welded into an Union by the Iron Man of India Sardar Vallababhai
Patel, whose services too were not given due recognition in the hurry to focus
limelight on Lord Mountbatten backed Premier Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, whom Aringnar
Anna used to call as the last democrat in Congress party.
If even that last
democrat did not give due recognition to many leaders like Nethaji or VOC, this
is not the time to compile a list. It is simply to point out the significance
of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam paying homage to all its martyrs in
Maaveerar Thuyilimidangal. There are monuments to the Unknown soldiers of
Second World War and Kargil War, but these are nowhere like the memorials
established by the LTTE where every live sacrificed is recognized.
Given all this, I
was moved to recall the sacrifices of the martyrs of the 1965 Anti Hindi
Agitation in an appropriate banner.
I asked a painter
to prepare a portrait of Sinnasamy, Sivilingam and Aranganathan, the three of
those who sacrificed their lives in the pictures I got from my old collection
of Murasoli papers. The others were Ayyampalayam Veerappan, Keranoor Muthu,
Mayavaram Sarangapani and Satyamangalam Muthu.
From the book
Struggle for Freedom of Languages in India written by former Vice Chancellor of
Alagappa University and released by Dr.Kalaignar M.Karunanithi just few months
before he last became Chief Minister, I obtained the photographs of all the 6
martyrs who committed self immolation. Their pictures are in the top of the
banner.
All the pictures of
the student leaders who led the struggle including L.Ganesan, P.Srinivasan who
defeated Kamaraj, Kalimuthu, Durai Murugan, Sasikala's husband M.Nadarajan and
I with others are also in the banner. Poet Perumchithranar, Peraringnar
Deveneya Pavanar, K.A.P.Viswanatham, and some of such scholars are in the
banner though Maraimalaiadigal and others are left out. Kalaignar was
imprisoned under National Security Act and put in solitary confinement at
Palayamkottai prison. Aringnar Anna who visited his cell saw writing in the
wall of the entrance which read Thannai Velvan Tharani Velvan. Anna wrote his
letter to Thambikku with that phrase as title.
Dravida Peravai had
broken away from DMK in 1994 on the Eelam issue, at the same time as when Vaiko
parted company. But we will not forget Kalaignar's sacrifices, that is why we
have put the photograph of his struggle to rename Dalmiapuram back to its
original Tamil name Kallakidi.
On 9 January1965,
Professor C.Ilakuvanar who was to have started Thamizh Urimai Perunadai, a
marathon walk to Chennai to press for Tamil medium of instruction, was arrested
under National Security Act and lost his job. I should have accompanied him,
but due to his arrest I had to cancel before I could start to Madurai.
After DMK came to
power there was a delay in his reinstatement. At the 1968 Anti Hindi Conference
organized at Kodaikanal by Raja Mohammad and Sedapatti Muthiah, students trying to pass a resolution
condemning the Tamil Nadu Government. Aringnar Anna, the Chief Minister who
came to address the conference asked for the proposed resolutions and while
reading searched for a pen, which I gave since I was sitting in the back. Anna
wrote something. While he spoke what he wrote was revealed. He said "Thambis
have forgotten that he is annan, that is why on the Ilakuvanar issue they are
going to pass a resolution. But before coming to Kodaikanal orders to reinstate
Professor Ilakuvanar had already been issued". At Anna's announcement
there was thunderous applause.
That Professor
Ilakuvanar's picture is in the banner. Scientist G.D.Naidu organized Non Hindi
States Conference at Coimbatore on 25-26 January 1969 where I also spoke in my
capacity as Student DMK leader from Puducherry State.
In one banner we
have tried to bring all these historical events. Having said everything I must
point out that in the banner I have referred to UNESCO recognition of the
Bangladeshi struggle and celebrating world mother languages day on that day.
The failure of Tamils to tell the world about the sacrifices in the Anti Hindi
1965 struggle led to Tamil losing that honour.
Since the banner is
meant to be carried if I go abroad, the names in English scanned from the
English book remains in English.
It is my appeal to
all Tamils to add whatever they know and use this banner editing it according
to their taste and inputs in their hand, and the ultimate aim of all of us
should be to honour the memory of the Tamil martyrs in the 1965 anti Hindi
imperialism Struggle
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