Tamil Nadu’s Deputy Chief Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader, Udhayanidhi Stalin, strongly criticized the Union Government on Monday, accusing it of attempting to impose Hindi on Tamil Nadu through the New Education Policy (NEP). Stalin’s comments come amid growing concerns over the three-language formula, which mandates the study of Hindi alongside regional languages.
Addressing the issue, Stalin highlighted the central government’s alleged indifference towards Tamil Nadu’s needs. He pointed out that the Union Budget had failed to allocate sufficient funds for the state, with Tamil Nadu’s name not even appearing in the financial documents. Referring to the aftermath of the recent cyclonic disaster, Stalin noted that despite the state’s request for financial aid, only State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) support had been provided. “Tamil Nadu people are watching their actions, and when the time comes, they will reply to them,” he said.
The Deputy Chief Minister further criticized the Union government’s efforts to shift education from the state list to the concurrent list, accusing them of attempting to force Hindi on the state. He firmly stated that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin would not accept the imposition of Hindi, stressing, “Please don’t impose Hindi on us.”
The language debate intensified with the remarks of other DMK leaders. Saravanan Annadurai, a senior DMK member, lambasted Tamil Nadu BJP chief K. Annamalai for supporting Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s stance on the NEP. Annadurai accused Annamalai of being a “puppet” of the RSS and said he should oppose the three-language formula, citing Tamil Nadu’s history and resistance to language imposition.
Annadurai also questioned the necessity of studying Hindi, dismissing it as irrelevant for the state’s educated populace. “We don’t want Hindi. Why should we read Hindi? Will it make us become a doctor? What’s the use?” he added, pointing out that the state’s people are well-educated and often migrate to countries like the USA, Australia, and the UK for opportunities, not due to language barriers.
DMK MP Kanimozhi echoed these sentiments, drawing attention to the Union government’s approach to language education. She pointed out the inconsistency in the BJP’s education policies, noting that before the BJP’s rise to power, German was taught in schools, while now Sanskrit is being pushed. She accused the Union government of promoting “language imposition” and emphasized that the imposition of Hindi is a form of dominance that Tamil Nadu strongly opposes.
The BJP, however, has defended its stance. K. Annamalai, responding to the criticism, took to social media to question why Tamil Nadu government schools should not teach the three languages Tamil, English, and a third Indian language. He also criticized the DMK for allegedly applying outdated policies to the state’s education system, while private schools, including those run by DMK ministers, follow a more modern trilingual curriculum. “The world is developing rapidly, and what is the point of imposing your outdated policy of the 1960s on the children of Tamil Nadu?” Annamalai remarked.
This clash over the NEP and the three-language formula highlights the ongoing tensions between the Centre and Tamil Nadu over education and language policies. As both sides continue to voice their concerns, the issue remains a hot topic in the state’s political landscape.
(With ANI Inputs)
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