So, it was not quite just another campaign speech when AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa addressed an election rally in Allahabad in Hindi. It is extremely uncertain how fruitful will be her efforts to establish a third front. But her choice of language will be a marker in Indian politics. And she was not subtle about that choice. She noted that this was her first speech in Hindi — in a political career of almost three decades — and apologised if her Hindi was not up to the mark. With a promise of more Hindi in the future, she wove into her anti-Congress campaign the plight of Hindi speakers in various states.
Why, one may ask, is Jayalalithaa doing this? Could it be an assertion of national ambition or is she exploring coalitional possibilities with northern entities? Definitely, Jayalalithaa would not have liked to share the stage with so many prominent leaders unless she possessed a gameplan. But at this moment think not of the future agendas she may be nurturing. Think instead of the nightmarish divisions of the past that just may have been officially reduced to bygones this week. For once, language may prove to be more important than substance.