Non-Hindi speakers in India always accuse that Hindi is imposed on them. As language is an essential component of an individual's and group's identity particularly in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Hindi is largely seen as Aryan's language spoken by north Indians. Tensions between Hindi and non-Hindi language have roots in the British India. There were demands for linguistic states in colonial years that accelerated in post-independent India. Although an idea to create states based on language were not accepted by early Indian leadership, they were gradually created. This paper attempts to critically examine the politics of language-based identity and related tensions.
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