Arakkonam (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 7 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah has sharply criticized Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin for not yet taking steps to introduce medical and engineering courses in the Tamil language. Despite multiple appeals over the past two years, Shah alleged that the Tamil Nadu government had failed to act on this issue, which he claimed would strengthen the state’s mother tongue and offer equal opportunities to students.
This remark from Shah comes amid a heated exchange between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government and the Centre over the alleged imposition of a three-language formula in Tamil Nadu. The war of words intensified after the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s comments on the matter.
While inaugurating various infrastructure and development projects during the 56th Raising Day of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) in Arakkonam, Shah addressed the issue. He said, “Till now, there was no place for the mother tongue in the CAPF recruitment process. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided that our youth can now take the CAPF exam in any of the eight languages, including Tamil. I urge the CM of Tamil Nadu to take steps to introduce the curriculum for medical and engineering courses in Tamil at the earliest.”
Shah emphasized that offering these courses in Tamil would not only strengthen the language but also provide Tamil-speaking students with equal opportunities. “I have been urging this for the last two years, but so far, no action has been taken,” he added.
Earlier, Chief Minister MK Stalin had lashed out at Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, accusing him of provoking Tamil Nadu’s response to the Centre’s education policies. Stalin expressed that Tamil Nadu would not submit to any form of Hindi imposition and that the state would continue to resist such moves. “Tamil Nadu will not be blackmailed into surrendering,” Stalin said.
The Tamil Nadu CM also pointed out that the state had already achieved many of the goals outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP), even though the policy aims to achieve these goals by 2030. “This is like an LKG student lecturing a PhD holder,” Stalin remarked. He further asserted that Tamil Nadu would never accept Hindi colonialism, which he claimed was being imposed by the Union government in the form of Hindi schemes, awards, and institutions.
Stalin’s fiery rhetoric continued as he reminded that Tamil Nadu had historically resisted attempts to impose Hindi, with those who tried to enforce such policies being defeated or later aligning with the DMK. “History is clear. Those who tried to impose Hindi on Tamil Nadu have either been defeated or changed their stance,” Stalin concluded.