“Uncivilised” vs “Arrogant”: Centre, Tamil Nadu’s ‘Hindi Imposition’ Battle

New Delhi:

The Tamil Nadu vs centre ‘language war‘ – over the new National Education Policy and the ‘imposition of Hindi’ on the state, and others in South India – exploded in Parliament Monday after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan criticised the latter’s ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam for being “uncivilised” and “ruining the future of students (from the state)”.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin delivered a feisty response; in an open letter posted on X Mr Stalin accused Mr Pradhan of arrogance and told him to “mind his words”.

“They (the DMK) are being dishonest. They are not committed to Tamil Nadu students. They are ruining the future of Tamil Nadu students. Their only job is to raise language barriers. They are doing politics… mischief. They are undemocratic,” Mr Pradhan raged in the Lok Sabha.

The salvo followed claims Tamil Nadu had, in fact, agreed to fully implement the new education policy, including its plans for a three-language formula, only to backtrack later, allegedly in hopes of using the emotionally charged issue to get votes in next year’s Assembly election.

He also claimed “internal bickering” in the DMK – which has dominated recent elections in the state, including the 2021 Assembly and 2024 Lok Sabha polls – had led to this stand-off.

The minister’s unseemly “uncivilised” jab drew a biting response from Mr Stalin, who posted a long statement on X (pointedly in Tamil and English only, in line with his state’s two-language policy), in which he said Mr Pradhan “thinks of himself as a king and speaks arrogantly”.

“You are insulting the people of Tamil Nadu. Does the Honorable Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, accept this?” Mr Stalin asked, tagging the PM and continuing, “We have not come forward to implement your plan (the three-language formula set out by the new National Education Policy, which Tamil Nadu says amounts to ‘Hindi imposition’) … and no one can force us to do so.”

தன்னை மன்னரென எண்ணிக் கொண்டு ஆணவத்துடன் பேசும் ஒன்றியக் கல்வி அமைச்சர் @dpradhanbjp அவர்களுக்கு நாவடக்கம் வேண்டும்!

தமிழ்நாட்டின் நிதியைத் தராமல் ஏமாற்றும் நீங்கள் தமிழ்நாட்டு எம்.பி.க்களைப் பார்த்து அநாகரிகமானவர்கள் என்பதா?

தமிழ்நாட்டு மக்களை அவமானப்படுத்துகிறீர்கள்.… pic.twitter.com/wKQ7FhX3rj

— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) March 10, 2025

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister then demanded a definitive answer from Mr Modi on claims by Mr Pradhan last month – that the centre will withhold funds for the state’s education sector unless it complies with the three-language policy. Mr Stalin had branded this warning as “blackmail”.

“Just answer whether it is possible to release funds belonging to Tamil Nadu students and the taxes collected from us!” he thundered in his post, warning the BJP, as his deputy, Udhayanidhi Stalin had last month, the state had “rejected the National Education Policy entirely”.

It wasn’t just Mr Pradhan and Mr Stalin firing at each other; ex-Tamil Nadu Governor and BJP leader Tamilisai Soundarajan accused the DMK of denying students from poorer sections the right to study a third language. “When children from affluent families (can) study three languages, why is the same opportunity being denied to poor children… ” she asked.

#WATCH | Chennai | On three-language policy in NEP, BJP leader Tamilisai Soundarajan says,”…They (DMK govt) are denying rights to the poor children of Tamil Nadu. When children from affluent families study three languages, why is the same opportunity being denied to the poor… pic.twitter.com/tY50qy8rPt

— ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2025

Meanwhile, from across the aisle, the DMK’s Dayanidhi Maran and K Kanimozhi hit out at the narrative the party had reneged on a promise to fully implement the new education policy.

“… DMK never agreed to NEP or three-language policy… all we said is our students need not learn three languages while students from the north learn only one. We are not against Hindi… if students want to learn… they are free to do so but it should not be compulsory…” Mr Maran said.

#WATCH | Delhi: On 3-language policy under NEP (National Education Policy) row, DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran says, ” …Dharmendra Pradhan lied by saying that DMK govt had agreed (to sign NEP). DMK never agreed to NEP or 3-language policy, all we said that we can’t…why should our… pic.twitter.com/AuVScetFja

— ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2025

The row over ‘Hindi imposition’ – a sensitive topic in the south, and particularly in Tamil Nadu, where violent ‘anti-Hindi’ riots broke out in the 1960s and which has always been opposed to the language being foisted on it – has re-erupted with the BJP pushing its new education policy.