1.
SV PAN FROM SIGN AT ENTRANCE OF SCHOOL OF PRINTING TO POLICEMEN ON GUARD TALKING TO STUDENT
0.06

2.
LV PAN. STUDENTS ON STEPS OF CLUB
0.10

3.
CU SIGN 'PLEASE DONATE' PAN. TO MONEY ON STEPS
0.15

4.
SV STUDENTS COLLECTING MONEY
0.20

5.
GV STUDENTS OUTSIDE BUILDING
0.24

6.
SV PAN. TWO SLOGANS ANTI HINDU
0.29

7.
CU WRITING ON WALL 'IT IS RIGHT THAT WE FIGHT FOR OUR RIGHTS'
0.30

8.
CU PAN. MORE BANNERS 'WE WANT JUSTICE'
0.33

9.
SV PORTRAIT OF GANDHI AND SLOGANS
0.36

10.
GV RAILWAY STATION
0.40

11.
LV STUDENTS STOPPING TRAIN
0.45

12.
LV DITTO
0.52

13.
SV STUDENTS CLIMB OVER TRAIN
0.56

14.
CU ANTI HINDU POSTER ON FRONT OF TRAIN.
1.00

15.
LV PAN. FROM THE BLACK FLAG TO SLOGANS DRAWN ON SIDE OF TRAIN.
1.03

16.
GV STUDENTS ON HUNGER STRIKE
1.06

17.
SV PAN. FROM POSTER TO ENTRANCE OF COLLEGE
1.11

18.
SV STUDENTS ON HUNGER STRIKE
1.15



Initials DS/S/AW/PC



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: INDIA'S BLOODY RIOTING OVER THE ADOPTION OF HINDI AS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE CONTINUED YESTERDAY (FRIDAY) WITH REPORTS OF 245 MORE PEOPLE KILLED IN MADRAS STATE IN SOUTHER INDIA. IT BROUGHT THE TOTAL NUMBER KILLED SINCE THE DISTURBANCE BEGAN TO 54.

HINDI BECAME INDIA'S OFFICIAL LANGUAGE ON JANUARY 26, INDEPENDENCE DAY, AND VIOLENT OPPOSITION TO ITS ADOPTION HAS BEEN GROWING IN MADRAS STATE SINCE THEN. MADRAS IS TAMIL-SPEAKING AND THERE HAVE BEEN FEARS THAT NON-HINDI SPEAKING INDIANS WOULD BE HINDERED IN EMPLOYMENT AND ADVANCEMENT.

IN A DOZEN TOWNS IN MADRAS STATE THERE HAVE BEEN VIOLENT CLASHES BETWEEN THE POPULATION AND CIVIL AUTHORITIES. AND IT IS TO THESE PLACES THAT THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT IN NEW DELHI, HAS SENT TROOPS TO RESTORE ORDER.

MADRAS CITY, TOO, HAS BEEN THE SCENE OF MASS DEMONSTRATIONS, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN OF MORE PASSIVE NATURE. LOCAL STUDENTS HAVE BEEN IN THE VANGUARD OF THE PROTESTS WHICH HAVE INCLUDED TOKEN HUNGER STRIKES, PICKETING AND ATTEMPTS TO HALT BUS AND RAIL TRANSPORTATION. ABSENTEEISM AT THE CITY'S SCHOOLS HAS REACHED SUCH A PEAK THAT THEY HAVE BEEN CLOSED INDEFINITELY.

THE WORST DEMONSTRATION IN MADRAS CITY OCCURRED ON THURSDAY AT THE NUNGAMBAKKAM STATION, WHEN HUNDREDS OF DEMONSTRATORS SWARMED ACROSS THE TRACK TO HALT AN EXPRESS TRAIN DUE FROM THE NORTH. THEY DRAPED A BLACK FLAG ACROSS THE ENGINE AND ERASED ALL SIGNS AT THE STATION WRITTEN IN HINDI.

TWO TAMIL-SPEAKING CABINET MINISTERS HAVE ALREADY RESIGNED BECAUSE OF THE CRISIS, DESPITE ASSURANCES FROM THE GOVERNMENT THAT THERE WOULD BE NOT HURRY IN THE CHANGE OVER FROM ENGLISH TO HINDI. THE GOVERNMENT HAS ALSO DECLARED THAT THERE WOULD BE NO DISCRIMINATION, PARTICULARLY IN THE INDIAN CIVIL SERVICE.

(THE DECISION TO MAKE THE CHANGE OVER FROM ENGLISH TO HINDI WAS TAKEN IN 1950 AND SET 1965 AS THE DEADLINE. DESPITE 15 YEARS WARNING, IT APPEARED THAT THE SOUTHERN INDIANS WOULD NOT BE READY FOR THE CHANGE. TAMIL, THEIR LANGUAGE, IS ENTIRELY DIFFERENT FROM ALL OTHER INDIAN TONGUES AND THE SOUTHERN INDIANS HAVE BEEN URGING LEGISLATION WHICH WOULD PROVIDE FOR THE USE OF ENGLISH, ALONG WITH HINDI, IN THE ADMINISTRATION.)