#StopHindiImposition trends as Amit Shah pushes for 'One Nation, One Language'

New Delhi, Sep 13: At a time when states across India are fighting against Centre's repeated attempts to impose Hindi, Union Minister Amit Shah has declared that only Hindi can unite the country and has openly pushed for the 'One Nation, One Language' agenda.

It sparked a debate on social media with hashtags like #StopHindiImposition, where Twitterati vented their anger against Amit Shah's statement.

#StopHindiImposition
No to the language of invaders, we Dravidians reject Hindi. pic.twitter.com/LxQvZvpvzJ

— Joseph (@Jo35363134) September 14, 2019

Even a million Amit Shahs can't change what we Indians consider as our mother tongues. Not with a hundred more years of state sponsored imposition. Nor by drilling our heads with stupid lies, using our own money. My mother tongue is Kannada. ಶಾ ನೂ ಹಿಂದಿ ಅಲ್ಲ! #StopHindiImposition

— Rakshith Ponnathpur | ರಕ್ಷಿತ್ ಪೊನ್ನಾಥಪುರ (@rsponnathpur) September 14, 2019

Migration rate of Hindi speakers towards South India is much more than the other way... Hence Hindians should try to learn atleast one South Indian language... Stop asking us (South Indians) to waste our time time in learning useless Hindi

#StopHindiImposition pic.twitter.com/Lif9mla981

— அடுத்த முதல்வர் NTK (@lxDroF21FSC1Px5) September 14, 2019

#StopHindiImposition @AmitShah @PMOIndia will you declare india as united states of india.. Becoz india filled with diversity. Don't impose hindi on us..#StopHindiImposition #StopHindiImposition #StopHindiImposition https://t.co/JC8Yrdfb5Q pic.twitter.com/uyJ3fIXVRj

— Maddy_madhan (@madhan_bala) September 14, 2019

Your Hindi Imperialistic atittude is killing us everyday, shoot All citizens who speak language other than Hindi. we Non Hindi speakers will die in a single shot...then it will be easy to build your country with one language.. #StopHindiImposition#MakeMyLanguageOfficial pic.twitter.com/Bdzpzn4Fv4

— ಅರುಣ್ ಜಾವಗಲ್Arun (@ajavgal) September 14, 2019

In June, the Draft New Educational Policy 2019 had created an uproar, especially in the southern states, after a clause recommended mandatory Hindi teaching in all schools.

The draft National Education Policy 2019 available on the government website said the three-language formula will need to be implemented in its spirit throughout the country, promoting multilingual communicative abilities for a multilingual country. Schools in Hindi speaking areas should also offer and teach Indian languages from other parts of India, it said.

The three-language formula, followed since the adoption of the National Policy on Education 1968 and endorsed in subsequent years will be continued.

In June, the Southern Railways had been forced to withdraw a circular directing Station Masters to communicate with the Divisional Control Office only in English or Hindi, following protests from the railway employees and the DMK in Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu has long opposed any moves to give Hindi greater prominence than other Indian languages. Even in pre-Independence era, the region saw anti-Hindi protests in 1937 that went on till 1940. In 1965, the issue flared once again, triggering riots that killed as many as 70 people.