The 1967 assembly elections brought the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) to power and effectively prevented the Congress from emerging as the ruling party in Tamil Nadu. Ironically, the one person who anticipated DMK’s victory was the last Congress Chief Minister, M. Bhaktavatsalam. A month before he lost power to the DMK, Bhaktavatsalam had made preparations for his exit.
On February 24, 1967, he wrote a note to the Public Department saying, “Records relating to the anti-Hindi movement are not required to be maintained. This may also apply to records maintained by the police.” The next day, the Public Department issued an order, “With reference to the orders of the Chief Minister stating that records relating to the anti-Hindi agitation need not be maintained, the files listed below are submitted for orders for destruction.”
On February 24, 1967, Chief Minister M. Bhaktavatsalam wrote a note to the Public Department, ordering the destruction of records related to the anti-Hindi imposition movement. | Photo Courtesy: S.Shivraj
The order lists 25 records considered “secret”, including records related to the arrest and detention of DMK leader M. Karunanidhi at a borstal school in Palayamkottai, as well as reports on his health condition; the detention of Tamil scholar Ilakkuvanar, also known as Avadayappan, head of the Tamil department at Thiagarajar College, Madurai; Custody of founder S.B.Adithyan (C.P. Adithanar) Daily Thanthi; and Madurai Medical College student leader R. Setu was taken into custody.
The list also includes detention records from North Arcot, Chengalpattu, Coimbatore, Madurai, Kanniyakumari, Nilgiris, Ramanathapuram, Salem, Thanjavur, Tiruchi and Tirunelveli districts as well as Madras city. The documents include A. of Riverbed Fort, Salem. Singaram and Joseph Pallipat of Madras City, challenging his detention.
After being informed that documents relating to the anti-Hindi movement had been destroyed, CN Annadurai sought an explanation from the Chief Secretary on March 31, 1967. | Photo Courtesy: S.Shivraj
“As per the orders of the Chief Minister, these records were destroyed and we have not been able to retrieve them in any way,” said A., assistant editor of Tamil Nadu Archives and Historical Research. said Vennila, who spent about one and a half years compiling and digitizing documents related to the anti-Hindi movement. This comprehensive list of documents tracing the course of the anti-Hindi movement in Tamil Nadu – including government orders and debates in the Madras State (later Tamil Nadu) Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council between 1927 and 1969 – was released by Chief Minister MK Stalin on December 22, 2025. The records, along with a descriptive index, are available on the Tamil Nadu Archives website.
signed note
Within days of Bhaktavatsalam’s order, events took a historic turn that reshaped the political landscape of Tamil Nadu. In the 1967 elections, the DMK came to power for the first time and CN Annadurai took over as Chief Minister. After being informed that documents relating to the anti-Hindi movement had been destroyed, Annadurai sought an explanation from the Chief Secretary on March 31, 1967. He wrote in a signed note addressed to the Chief Secretary, “From press statements, I learned that the previous Chief Minister (M. Bhaktavatsalam) was advised about the need to destroy files related to the anti-Hindi movement. I would like to know from the officials who advised the previous Chief Minister in this regard and whether those files can now be reconstructed.”
In his reply dated April 4, 1967, the Chief Secretary said, “From the orders of the former Chief Minister and the absence of any note from any officer in that regard, it is clear that the orders were from the former Chief Minister himself and no officer had given him any advice in that regard.”
The Chief Secretary further said that Bhaktavatsalam’s instructions regarding police records were conveyed to the police verbally by the Deputy Secretary (Public). “Therefore, it can be assumed that in compliance with the orders of the former Chief Minister, records relating to the police may also have been destroyed,” the note said.
On April 20, 1967, Annadurai wrote in a handwritten communication, “The Chief Secretary can explain how the former Chief Minister’s order was followed despite knowing that it was improper.” After examining the questions raised by the Chief Minister, the Secretary of the Law Department, in an explanatory note, said that raising questions on the orders of the former Chief Minister is completely beyond the scope of a civil servant. The note said that if there is any impropriety, it is not at the official level but at the political level and there is no illegality or impropriety on the part of the officer following the order.
The Chief Secretary also said that it is not so malicious The intention of the officer who executed Bhaktavatsalam’s instructions. After this the case was closed. However, there was a long debate in the Assembly over the destruction of the records. Responding to a question by AK Balakrishnan on whether there is any time limit fixed for retaining the files before they are destroyed, Annadurai said that although some files can be kept for use, there are some files which can be destroyed at any time as per the requirement of the ministers. When AK Subbaiah expressed his desire to retrieve the files and place them before the House, the Chief Minister said it was not possible as they had been destroyed.
‘Actions of big people’
Annadurai did not agree with KPS Mani’s suggestion that the government had forgiven those who destroyed the files. “I don’t like the word ‘sorry’. We can only regret the actions of big people,” he said.
Responding to DMK member AVP Asaithambi’s question on whether ministers have the authority to order destruction of files or whether a committee of legal experts will be constituted to probe the matter, the Chief Minister said there is an established practice of retaining regular files for a particular period as well as destroying secret documents “when needed”.
Leader of the Opposition PG Karuthiruman of the Congress wondered whether it was fair to describe the destruction of the files as a conspiracy. Annadurai replied that files related to Congress leaders were also destroyed after independence, as it would embarrass anyone reading them later. “But these files (related to the anti-Hindi movement) will not cause any trouble,” he said. “The files relate to persons who had the opportunity to form the government after the elections. It is appropriate that those files were retained,” he said.
‘Victim of harassment’
Annadurai said the files should contain details of the car in which Karunanidhi was taken from Madras to Palayamkottai and what was given to him on the way. He said, “They must have information which Karunanidhi did not tell me. They took him away in the car without even giving him a cup of coffee. Karunanidhi, who was ill, was subjected to harassment and the files were apparently destroyed, because if I had read them, I would have been saddened.”
He also promised to take appropriate action when Swatantra Party’s HV Hande wanted to know whether the government would table a copy of the entire proceedings related to the investigation of the missing files. He also wondered whether there was any connection between the delay in the announcement of Bhaktavatsalam’s election and the destruction of the files.
‘right to destroy’
To Congress leader K. Vinayagam, who wanted to know whether Annadurai agreed that Bhaktavatsalam had the constitutional and mandatory right to destroy any file he wished, he replied that when some papers were destroyed, it was natural to be suspicious of the motives. He remarked, “If every minister is given the constitutional right to destroy every paper, we can set up our secretariat in a 12′ x 10′ room.”
He also missed a chapter on discipline, civil service mentality and civil rights Theory and practice of modern government By Herman Finer. “The first duty which a civil servant is directed to perform is to conscientiously discharge his office and all duties connected therewith in accordance with the Constitution and laws, to obey the official orders of his superiors, so far as they are not contrary to law, and to behave with dignity accorded to his office,” Annadurai said, quoting the law department.
After Annadurai pressed on the issue, the Chief Secretary issued an order carrying forward Mr. Hande’s demand to summon all concerned officials, conduct a detailed investigation and find out what were the contents of the files that were destroyed. Chief Secretary Communist leader N. They also agreed to Shankaraiah’s question whether the government would investigate the incidents and inform the House about the results.
Ms Vennila said the debates preserved in these archives contain many notable ideas that remain relevant today. In particular, there was discussion about whether a third language should be included in the school curriculum, the necessity of such a requirement, and the psychological pressure such policies might have on students. These questions were discussed at length during Avinashilingam Chettiar’s tenure as Education Minister. He said there was also a debate on why South Indian languages could not be adopted as the third language in place of Hindi.
A careful reading of these records reveals that the anti-Hindi movement in the mid-1960s culminated in an unprecedented student rebellion in Tamil Nadu. He said, government documents indicate that the protests were led mainly by students, as is evident from the police reports submitted to higher authorities on the demonstrations that took place in front of colleges.
a wealth of valuable information
A total of 649 records of 20,875 pages related to the anti-Hindi movement have been compiled. These contain 18,229 pages including 302 government orders, 1,831 pages of Madras Legislative Assembly debates and 815 pages of Madras Legislative Council debates. These records contain a wealth of valuable information, and their compilation and digitization make them far more accessible to researchers and the public.
“Tamil Nadu Archives and Historical Research has over 40 crore records. We are in the process of thematically segregating these records. One such thematic segregation is the anti-Hindi movement. I hope this effort will help the younger generation understand this struggle better,” said S., Commissioner of Tamil Nadu Archives and Historical Research. Malarvizi said.
