NEW DELHI, March 10 -- It is imperative to understand why non-Hindi-speaking states, particularly Tamil Nadu, resist any attempt to impose the Hindi language on them. Tamil is not only the oldest Indian language but also one of the oldest languages in the world, dating back thousands of years. The four Southern classical languages - Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam - have a very rich linguistic tradition and cultural heritage. The decline of Sanskrit, the 'mother of Indian languages,' has historical reasons. Hindi and Urdu, impacted and influenced by the Persian language - the official language of the Mughal Empire - developed much later.

The opposition to the imposition of Hindi in Tamil Nadu goes back to the Indian freedom struggle...