Anti-Hindi agitation of 1937–1940

1937–40 Anti-Hindi agitations of Madras
1937–40 Anti-Hindi agitations of Madras
Part of Anti-Hindi agitations of Tamil Nadu
	Front page of Periyar E. V. Ramasamy's periodical Kudiyarasu (3 September 1939). The headline reads "Veezhga Indhi" (Down with Hindi)
Date	11 August 1937 - 21 February 1940; (2 years, 6 months and 11 days)
Location	Tamil-speaking areas of; Madras Province, British India; (present-day Tamil Nadu, India)
Caused by	A policy statement and a government order (G.O) issued by the Madras Provincial Government to make the teaching of Hindi language compulsory in secondary schools
Goals	To make the government withdraw the order
Methods	Non-violent - Conferences, fasts, marching, picketing, rallying; Violent - Riots, Stone throwing;
Resulted in	Resignation of the Government (1939); Withdrawal of the order by Madras Governor Lord Erskine (1940);
Parties
Electoral parties; Justice Party; All-India Muslim League; Communist Party of India (partially) Non-electoral organizations; Self-Respect Movement; Tamilar Padai (rallying); Karanthai Tamil Sangam Tamil scholars, Saivite scholars, industrialists and general public	Government of Madras (1937-39) Madras Police; Electoral parties; Indian National Congress (partially); Communist Party of India (partially) Non-electoral organizations; * Hindustani Seva Dal; * Hindustani Hitashi Sabha
Lead figures
	A. T. Panneerselvam; M. A. Muthiah Chettiar; N. V. Natarajan; P. Khalifulla Sahib; M. Singaravelu "Periyar" E. V. Ramasamy; C. N. Annadurai; Moovalur Ramamirtham; S. Dharmambal; Pattukkottai Alagiri; Meenambal Shivaraj; Rama Subbaiah; M. S. Purnalingam; Maraimalai Adigal; Somasundara Bharathiar; T. V. Umamaheswaran; K. A. P. Viswanatham; K. Appadurai; K. M. Balasubramaniam; S. Ilakkuvanar; Mudiyarasan; W. P. A. Soundarapandian; G. D. Naidu; L. Natarajan †; Thalamuthu †; Palladam Ponnusamy; Stalin Jagadeesan; N. Sankaraiah; M. Karunanidhi; C. Rajagopalachari T. S. S. Rajan P. Subbarayan P. Jeevanandham
Casualties
Death(s)	2 (Natarajan and Thalamuthu)
Arrested	1,198
Detained	Periyar (1 year ; released in 6 months); Annadurai (4 months); Palladam Ponnusamy (6 weeks)
Fined	Periyar fined ₹.1,000
	† = died in detainment

The anti-Hindi imposition agitation of 1937–1940 refers to a series of protests that happened in Madras Province of British India during 1937–1940. It was launched in 1937 in opposition to the introduction of compulsory teaching of Hindi in the schools of the province by the Indian National Congress government led by C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji). This move was immediately opposed by E. V. Ramasamy (Periyar) and the opposition Justice Party (later Dravidar Kazhagam). The agitation, which lasted for about 30 months, was multifaceted and involved fasts, conferences, marches, picketing and protests. The government responded with a crackdown resulting in the death of two protesters and the arrest of 1,198 persons including women and children. The mandatory Hindi education was later withdrawn by the British governor of Madras Lord Erskine in February 1940 after the resignation of the Congress government in 1939.

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