In an important discussion in The Hindu (June 2, 2023), the scholars argued that what distinguishes the south from the north politically is its language of politics, its regional parties and their demand for more power to the States, its multiple languages and cultures, its countercultures built through various anti-caste, anti-Brahmin and rationalist movements, its higher economic status and its investment in education, modern institutions, industrial infrastructure, etc. while the north lagged in most of these aspects.
Linguistic movements
On similar lines, in 1956, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar argued that the north was conservative, superstitious and educationally backward, whereas the south was progressive, rational and educationally forward. He criticised Jawaharlal Nehru for practising Brahminical rituals. He did not spare President Rajendra Prasad for worshipping the Brahmins in Banaras, washing their toes, and drinking that water. Thus, Ambedkar wondered how, under such leadership, the south would tolerate “the rule of the north.” Even today, his observation seems pertinent considering how the north has nurtured hard-liner Hindutva politics, while the south has barred the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from entering its political landscape. Thus, the perplexing question is: what makes the south such a formidable fortress where the BJP has no presence now?
