Unfortunately for him, the Hindi fanatics in the central government did not heed Kamaraj’s warnings and were intent on making it the sole official language of the nation. When the violence subsided after Anna’s appeal to the students, Periyar believed it to be the proof of the DMK being behind the violence. The agitation ended as a victory for the DMK—the central government backtracked and assured Tamils that the status quo would be preserved; English would continue as an official language.
