The on-going controversy over Tamil film actor Kamal Haasan’s remark on the history of the Kannada language has again brought into the open the linguistic factor in Indian politics.
By P.K.Balachandran
Colombo, June 16 – Indian politics is woven around four factors, namely, caste, ethnicity, religion and language-based regionalism. This has been so ever since politics of mass mobilization started, that is, during the freedom movement led by Mahatma Gandhi and the Congress party.
Being a multi-linguistic country with language groups concentrated in specific geographical areas, the Indian National Congress divided its organizational units along linguistic lines. For example, the Madras Presidency Congress party was divided into the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee and the Andhra Congress Committee to represent the Tamil-speaking and Telugu-speaking areas of Madras Presidency separately and adequately.
When India became independent in 1947, there was a widespread demand for administrative units based on language so that the language of administration would be the locally predominant one. In the mid-1950s, the pre-independence British-created “Presidencies” like Bombay, Madras and Bengal Presidencies were divided into linguistic units called “States”. The predominant language in a State became the language of administration of that State.
But still, problems remained because the divisions were not accurate. Linguistic minorities complained of marginalization. For example, the people of Belgaum in Karnataka felt discriminated because they are Marathi speaking and not Kannada speaking
However, linguistic groups in India were not given linguistic States language on a platter. They had to struggle for them. The Telugu speakers of Madras Presidency had to struggle to get Andhra Pradesh. Agitator Potti Sriamulu fasted unto death for Andhra Pradesh.
Gujarat had to fight to separate from Bombay, and the Sikhs of Punjab had to wage a long battle to get Statehood.
Language became an extremely divisive issue in 1965, when as per the Indian Constitution, Hindi was to fully replace English as the official language at the national level. People and political parties in Tamil Nadu rose in revolt against this provision as they feared that Hindi speakers would dominate them and other linguistic minorities in perpetuity. Finally, the Indian government agreed to continue with English as an associate official language indefinitely.
Identity based on language became one of the many identities which came to play a big part in mass mobilization for political purposes like elections. Linguistic States are perpetually on guard because language is the badge for their collective identity vis-à-vis other linguistic States and vis-à-vis the Central government which promotes Hindi and the Hindi identity.
In Bengaluru, Kannada organizations insisted that non-Kannada speakers living in the Karnataka should learn Kannada and that shops in the State should put up boards in Kannada language prominently. Local parties and the Karnataka government backed these demands. Similar demands were made in Maharashtra against Hindi-speaking migrants from North India.
The Kamal Controversy
The most recent controversy over language was over Tamil actor Kamal Haasan’s remark about Kannada language at a function to launch the audio of this latest film “Thug Life”. In his speech, Kamal said “Kannada was born from Tamil”. This angered Kannada enthusiasts in Karnataka who believe that Kannada is an ancient and independent language with its own origin. The Karnataka Film Chamber ordered a ban on Kamal’s film “Thug Life” if Kamal did not apologise.
But Kamal refused to apologise saying that what he said was not insulting to Kannada. It only pointed to the close kinship between Tamil and Kannada. Kamal wrote a letter to the President of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce saying that his statement was misunderstood.
“My words were intended only to convey that we are all one and from the same family and not to diminish Kannada in any way,” Kamal wrote.
He further said that he had long admired Kannada’s “proud literary and cultural tradition,” as he was proud of Tamil’s tradition.
“Throughout my career, I have cherished the warmth and affection extended to me by the Kannada-speaking community,” the actor added.
The actor went to the Karnataka High Court to get the local film industry’s ban lifted. The court castigated him for not apologising. The court recalled that even C.Rajagopalachariar (Rajaji), a former Governor General of India, had apologised for a controversial remark. Kamal should have no problem doing so, the Court said.
Kamal told the court that he was only using his constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech. He saw no need to “apologise for love,” he added.
The Court postponed a decision until June 10. And on June 3, Kamal announced his decision not to release “Thug Life” in Karnataka.
Kamal Haasan Habitually Courts Controversy
Haasan is no stranger to controversy. In 1992, he was criticised for his film “Thevar Magan” for allegedly equating violence with the Thevar community in Tamil Nadu. But the film went on to earn five National Film Awards, including Best Feature Film in Tamil.
His 2004 super-hit “Virumaandi” was caught in the crosshairs with Dalit political parties over its previous title ‘Sandiyar’ which Dr K Krishnasamy, leader of Pudhiya Tamizhagam party, believed was allegedly derogatory to Dalits. The 2008 film “Dasavathaaram” angered Hindu groups for allegedly hurting Hindu sentiments.
The first part of “Viswaroopam” ran into a controversy in 2013. It faced a two-week ban despite possessing a censors’ certificate. The reason for the stalling was that it would create law and order as it had an anti-Muslim content. After several Muslims groups protested against the film, the actor organised a special screening for them. After a two week-long standoff the Madras High Court lifted the ban on the film. Eventually, “Viswaroopam” grossed INR 2000 million. It also won two awards for Best Art Direction and Best Choreography at the 60th National Film Awards in 2013.
Four years later, Kamal once again rubbed the right-wing organisations the wrong way. In an article, in the Tamil magazine “Ananda Vikatan,” Kamal said: “There is Hindu extremism in Tamil Nadu. You cannot say there is no Hindu terror.”
In 2019, Kamal invited the ire of Hindu nationalists when he said “independent India’s first extremist was a Hindu”. He was referring to Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse, who was a Hindu Brahmin. Hindu nationalists believe that Godse killed Gandhi because Gandhi was allegedly partial to Muslims at the time of British India’s partition into a Hindu-majority India and a Muslim-majority Pakistan in 1947.
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