Rajinikanth backs ‘One Country, One Language’, but says implementation tough in India 

On Hindi Diwas, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had hinted at making Hindi a common language across the country last week. Shah claimed that Hindi had the ability to “string the nation together”, and could be the “mark of India’s identity globally”.

His comments had drawn a sharp reaction from leaders across the country, especially from the south. In Tamil Nadu, DMK chief M K Stalin called it a “deliberate attempt” to make non-Hindi speakers feel like “second-class citizens”. The party will launch a statewide agitation on September 20 to protest the “Hindi imposition”.

Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan had warned that any imposition would result in a stir “much bigger than the Jallikkattu protest, which was a relatively smaller one”.

READ | Why Tamil Nadu will again offer maximum pushback to Hindi

Rajinikanth, a Tamil superstar, chose not to contest in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections despite announcing his political aspirations. While he is yet to launch his political outfit, there has been widespread speculation over his entry as he continues to meet political leaders and issues statements on national issues.