Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India]: Amid escalating tensions over the alleged imposition of the National Education Policy (NEP) in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister MK Stalin launched a scathing attack on Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Stalin accused the Minister of provoking the state and attempting to enforce the NEP against Tamil Nadu’s wishes.
CM Stalin remarked, “The tree may prefer calm, but the wind will not subside.” He further accused Pradhan of forgetting his place and attempting to threaten Tamil Nadu into accepting what he termed as #HindiImposition. “He forgot his place and dared to threaten an entire state to accept #HindiImposition, and now he faces the consequences of reviving a fight he can never win. Tamil Nadu will not be blackmailed into surrendering,” Stalin asserted.
Stalin also criticized the NEP’s goals, stating that Tamil Nadu had already achieved many of the policy’s objectives, which are only set to be fulfilled by 2030. Drawing a sharp analogy, he said, “This is like an LKG student lecturing a PhD holder. Dravidam does not take dictations from Delhi. Instead, it sets the course for the nation to follow.”
The Chief Minister mocked the BJP’s campaign for the three-language formula, describing it as a “circus-like signature campaign” that had turned into a laughing stock in Tamil Nadu. He challenged the BJP to make the three-language policy a core issue in the 2026 Assembly elections, presenting it as a referendum on the alleged Hindi imposition.
“History is clear. Those who tried to impose Hindi on Tamil Nadu have either been defeated or later changed their stance and aligned with DMK. Tamil Nadu will not tolerate Hindi colonialism replacing British colonialism,” he warned.
Stalin also criticized the extensive use of Hindi in Union government schemes, awards, and institutions, claiming it suffocates non-Hindi speakers, who form the majority in India. He added, “Men may come, men may go. But even long after the dominance of Hindi is shattered in India, history will remember that it was DMK that stood as the vanguard.”
Meanwhile, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the Supreme Court seeking the implementation of the three-language formula under the NEP in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and West Bengal. Filed by BJP lawyer GS Mani, the plea argued that the refusal of state governments to implement the NEP could harm public interest and infringe on citizens’ rights.
The Central government defended the NEP as a step towards promoting multilingualism. However, Tamil Nadu accused the Centre of attempting to push Hindi subtly through the policy, reigniting the state’s long-standing resistance to such moves. The state government has strongly opposed the NEP, expressing concerns over the three-language formula and alleging that the Centre’s intention is to “impose” Hindi.