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This shifting landscape reflects deeper anxieties. In Tamil Nadu, the state government made Tamil compulsory in all schools in 2015‑16, but CBSE institutions still offered limited options. By 2017‑18, Hindi was made compulsory across all classes, forcing students to abandon their third-language choices. Such reversals leave students questioning the value of learning any particular language and highlight the ongoing power struggle over linguistic education.

The practical argument for Hindi is clear: it eases mobility across states and is widely spoken. Yet, the cultural cost is steep. One student who moved from Chennai to Hyderabad admitted that while Hindi literacy helps in daily life, “the inability to read Telugu” — his mother tongue — “creates painful gaps in my cultural identity”.