NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin on Tuesday reiterated his demand to stop the “imposition” of Hindi in Tamil Nadu and other southern states, stating that these states have never insisted that northern states learn their languages.
He highlighted the historical presence of ‘Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabhas’ in southern states whilst pointing out the absence of equivalent ‘Uttar Bharat Tamil Prachar Sabhas’ in northern India for teaching southern languages.
On social media platform X, Stalin stated, “A century has passed since the Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha was set up to make South Indians learn Hindi. How many Uttar Bharat Tamil Prachar Sabhas have been established in North India in all these years? Truth is, we never demanded that North Indians must learn Tamil or any South Indian language to ‘preserve’ them. All we ask is to #StopHindiImposition on us. If BJP-ruled states want to teach 3 languages or even 30, let them! Just leave Tamil Nadu alone!”

On March 3, Stalin questioned the necessity of southern students learning a third language when northern students are taught only two languages.
Using the platform X, Stalin challenged critics to identify which third language is being taught in North India.
“Some guardians of lopsided policies, wailing in great concern, ask, “Why are you denying Tamil Nadu students the opportunity to learn a third language?” Well, why don’t they first say which third language is being taught up north? If they had just taught two languages properly there, where’s the need for us to learn a third?” Stalin posted on X.
Deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin issued a firm statement against alleged Hindi imposition attempts by the central government. He confirmed Tamil Nadu’s rejection of the New Education Policy and any form of Hindi imposition.
He reinforced chief minister MK Stalin’s position rejecting NEP, delimitation, and Hindi imposition, whilst accusing the central government of attempting to implement Hindi through alternative means and the NEP.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, speaking in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, defended the NEP 2020’s approach to Indian languages. He stressed that all Indian languages deserve equal status and instruction.
Pradhan stated, “National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 should give importance to Indian languages… All Indian languages have equal rights, and all should be taught in the same way. This is the objective of the NEP. Some people in Tamil Nadu are opposing it for political purposes. We have not said anywhere in the NEP that only Hindi will be taught…”
The Tamil Nadu government maintains its opposition to the NEP 2020, particularly regarding the “three-language formula“, alleging the Centre’s intention to impose Hindi.