Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has once again voiced his strong opposition to what he calls the “imposition” of Hindi in the state, vowing not to surrender to the Centre’s push for the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. He criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for allegedly forcing Hindi on non-Hindi-speaking states and asserted that Tamil Nadu would never accept such policies.
MK Stalin has also challenged the BJP to make the three-language policy a key issue in the 2026 state elections, expressing confidence that such a move would backfire. He argued that Tamil Nadu has already achieved what the NEP aims for by 2030, comparing the Centre’s approach to an LKG student lecturing a PhD holder. According to him, the Dravidian movement has led the way in education, and the Centre’s insistence on a new language policy is unnecessary.
The Chief Minister further claimed that Hindi imposition is suffocating non-Hindi speakers across India, with everything from government schemes to awards being named in Hindi. He accused the Centre of replacing British colonialism with what he termed “Hindi colonialism.” He also lashed out at Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, alleging that the Centre is using financial coercion to make Tamil Nadu accept the NEP. MK Stalin was responding to Pradhan’s recent remark that Tamil Nadu could lose central funds if it did not implement the policy.
While the NEP advocates a three-language policy, the Union government maintains that no language will be imposed on any state. However, Tamil Nadu has consistently resisted the policy, with the ruling DMK government arguing that the state has flourished under its existing two-language system. The party maintains that forcing a third language, particularly Hindi, would disadvantage Tamil speakers and undermine the linguistic diversity of the country.
On the other hand, the BJP has defended the three-language formula, saying that it would be beneficial for Tamil Nadu residents when they travel to other parts of India. Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai has dismissed the criticism of Hindi names in central government schemes, arguing that they are no different from the names given during the UPA era. He pointed out that some trains in Tamil Nadu have been given Tamil names and questioned why MK Stalin did not push for similar initiatives during the previous UPA government.
MK Stalin’s remarks came just as Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Tamil Nadu for the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Raising Day event. The ongoing debate over language policy continues to be a major political flashpoint in Tamil Nadu, with both the DMK and BJP holding firm to their respective positions.
