The battle over language has once again ignited a political firestorm between the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government and the BJP-led Centre. At the heart of the controversy is the alleged imposition of Hindi through the National Education Policy (NEP) and the three-language formula, which Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has fiercely opposed.
Tamil Nadu’s Resistance to NEP and Hindi Imposition
Tamil Nadu has a long history of resisting Hindi imposition, with the Dravidian movement playing a crucial role in safeguarding Tamil language and culture. Unlike other states, Tamil Nadu follows a two-language policy, where students learn Tamil and English, rejecting the three-language formula that includes Hindi.
In a strongly worded letter to DMK cadres, Stalin accused the Centre of attempting to “destroy Tamil and its culture” by enforcing Hindi. “More than 25 North Indian native languages have already been wiped out by the hegemony of Hindi-Sanskrit. Tamil Nadu will never allow this to happen,” he stated.
#WATCH | In a video message, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin says, "…Today, Tamil Nadu is confronting two critical challenges – the battle for language, which is our lifeline, and the fight against delimitation, which is our right. I earnestly urge you to convey the true essence of our… pic.twitter.com/98rkyfeH4f
— ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2025
Stalin further alleged that the NEP’s three-language policy is merely a disguise for promoting Sanskrit. “If Tamil Nadu accepts this, our mother tongue will be ignored, and Sanskritisation will take over,” he warned.
The Tamil Nadu CM also made it clear that the state will not implement NEP, even if the Centre offers financial incentives. “The Centre says Tamil Nadu will receive ₹2,000 crore for adopting NEP. I say we will reject it even if they offer ₹10,000 crore. We will not push Tamil Nadu back by 2,000 years,” he declared.
Centre and BJP’s Counterattack
The BJP has strongly hit back at Stalin, accusing him of using the language debate to divert attention from his government’s failures. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw slammed Stalin’s remarks, calling them a “shallow attempt” to divide society.
“Poor governance will never be hidden by such divisive tactics. It will be interesting to see if Rahul Gandhi, as an MP from a Hindi-speaking seat, supports this anti-Hindi stance,” Vaishnaw remarked.
Poor governance will never be hidden by such shallow attempts to divide society.
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) February 27, 2025
It will be interesting to know what the Leader of the Opposition, @RahulGandhi Ji, has to say on this subject. Does he, as MP of a Hindi-speaking seat, agree? https://t.co/Oj2tQseTno
Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi also entered the debate, claiming that the state’s rigid two-language policy has deprived its youth of employment opportunities. “Our youth feel disadvantaged compared to neighboring states due to this policy. They must have the freedom to study languages of their choice, including other South Indian languages,” Ravi stated.
Protests on the Ground
The resistance against Hindi imposition has also taken a visible turn. Pro-Tamil activists blackened Hindi signboards at two railway stations—Pollachi Junction and Palayankottai in Tirunelveli—forcing railway officials to repaint them.
A Battle Beyond Language
Stalin has framed the fight as not just about language but also about political representation. He warned that Tamil Nadu is facing two major threats—language imposition and constituency delimitation. “While the Centre claims they will not cut Tamil Nadu’s parliamentary seats, they are unwilling to guarantee that representation of other states will not increase disproportionately,” he cautioned.