Speaking of us

There had been no signs that calm March day three years ago that there’d be a mid-morning and most unparliamentary redrawing of political alignments on the floor of the House. In Lok Sabha an MDMK member got up to inquire of the then surface transport minister why it was that reports were coming in of Tamil markings on milestones being overwritten in Hindi and English. All of a sudden representatives of the sworn Yadav foes — SP’s Mulayam Singh and RJD’s Lalu Prasad — were on their feet, together upholding the pre-eminence of Hindi. To the MDMK gentleman’s defence came representatives of the AIADMK, DMK and PMK. The Tamil versus Hindi cries brought back images from the sixties, till other MPs took the initiative and physically pulled the two groups apart. A clash was averted, but it showed how unexpectedly old antagonisms can surface.

So, it was not quite just another campaign speech when AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa addressed an election rally in Allahabad in Hindi. It is extremely uncertain how fruitful will be her efforts to establish a third front. But her choice of language will be a marker in Indian politics. And she was not subtle about that choice. She noted that this was her first speech in Hindi — in a political career of almost three decades — and apologised if her Hindi was not up to the mark. With a promise of more Hindi in the future, she wove into her anti-Congress campaign the plight of Hindi speakers in various states.

Why, one may ask, is Jayalalithaa doing this? Could it be an assertion of national ambition or is she exploring coalitional possibilities with northern entities? Definitely, Jayalalithaa would not have liked to share the stage with so many prominent leaders unless she possessed a gameplan. But at this moment think not of the future agendas she may be nurturing. Think instead of the nightmarish divisions of the past that just may have been officially reduced to bygones this week. For once, language may prove to be more important than substance.