Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has issued a strong warning to the central government amid the ongoing National Education Policy (NEP) language row, cautioning the Centre against “throwing stones at a beehive.” His statement came in response to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s letter urging Tamil Nadu to rise above politics and accept the three-language formula under NEP.
Pradhan had earlier accused Stalin of distorting progressive reforms to sustain political narratives. The dispute escalated after Stalin wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, opposing the linking of two centrally sponsored schemes with the implementation of NEP in the state. The DMK government has refused to adopt the three-language policy, arguing that it would lead to the imposition of Hindi. The party has repeatedly urged the Centre not to make Hindi a mandatory language in Tamil Nadu’s educational institutions.
In his sharp rebuttal, Stalin questioned Pradhan’s stance, stating, “Is the condition that funds will be released only if the trilingual policy is accepted not politics? Is imposing Hindi in the name of NEP not politics? Is forcing a multilingual and diverse nation into a single-language framework not politics?” Stalin further asserted that as long as he and the DMK are in power, no anti-Tamil policies will be allowed in the state.
The DMK has accused the Centre of withholding Tamil Nadu’s share of funds due to its refusal to implement NEP. Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin reiterated the state’s commitment to the two-language policy—Tamil and English—and stressed that the government is only demanding what is rightfully due to Tamil Nadu.
The language dispute has intensified the political battle between the ruling DMK and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Tamil Nadu BJP, led by K Annamalai, launched the online campaign “GetOutStalin,” criticizing the DMK’s governance and policies, particularly on education. In retaliation, Udhayanidhi Stalin recently hinted at launching a “Get Out Modi” campaign if the Centre continued to interfere with the rights of Tamil Nadu’s people.
The NEP debate has reignited concerns over language imposition in Tamil Nadu, a state with a long history of resisting Hindi dominance. As tensions rise, the political clash over education policy is likely to remain a crucial issue in state-Centre relations.
