Well, I am from the Hindi Heartland, the heart of hearts, Prayagraj, nothing more Hindi, more northern than Prayagraj. Here, even road signs are inscribed in southern languages in addition to Hindi and English at least the main city. Street vendors will understand enough of whatever southern language you throw at them to at least help you. They may not understand anything, but they will catch enough words so you don't die of hunger.
So just brushing up your systemic problem with "everyone does that" will not cut it. It's a problem, and yes, I agree that it's politically motivated, but who is gonna solve it. UP was THE gangster state of India; the citizens suffered, and we are solving the problem one day at a time.
You don't want us to respect your language or culture. In the history of humanity, no group has ever earned respect by strong-arming another group. The problem is not the fringe element of society, it's the good guys doing nothing out of fear. That says a lot about your culture.