Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin declared his state’s readiness for another language conflict due to the Centre’s alleged imposition of Hindi through the National Education Policy (NEP)

NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin said on Tuesday that his state is prepared for “another language war” as tensions rise with the Centre over the alleged ‘imposition of Hindi’ through the National Education Policy (NEP).
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Stalin accused the Centre of politicising education and withholding crucial funds from the state.
Just three days ago, he made it clear that Tamil Nadu would not sign the NEP, even if the Union government offered substantial financial assistance.
“If the state were to sign away its rights for Rs 2,000 crore, Tamil society would be set back by 2,000 years,” Stalin remarked. “Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin will never commit such a sin,” he added.

<p>Chief minister M K Stalin addresses the media after the Tamil Nadu Cabinet meeting<br></p>

The CM emphasised that the NEP undermines social justice, threatens the Tamil language, and goes against the interests of Tamil people and Tamil Nadu.
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“The NEP is a direct threat to our children’s future. We do not oppose any language. But we will always resist any attempts to impose a language on us,” Stalin asserted. He further clarified that their opposition to the NEP is not solely because it promotes Hindi, but because the policy pushes students out of schools.
BJP leader Tamilisai Soundarajan criticised Stalin’s party, accusing the DMK of hypocrisy over the language issue.
She pointed to a recent incident where Hindi lettering on nameboards at a railway station in Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, was allegedly removed by DMK workers.
Soundarajan condemned the act, saying, “This is public property, and we cannot allow political parties to erase Hindi words. Children and grandchildren of all ministers are studying in CBSE schools, learning three languages. I challenge MK Stalin to disclose how many children of his and his ministers’ families are learning only two languages.”
Soundarajan further accused the DMK of using language politics to distract from other pressing issues in Tamil Nadu, questioning their double standards on the matter.
See also: ‘Will never sign NEP, even for Rs 10,000 crore’: Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin slams Centre’s education policy
“While DMK opposes Hindi in schools, they allow their children to study in CBSE schools, which teach three languages,” she said. She also pointed to communication problems faced by Tamil children in other parts of India, claiming that the language issue was being politicized for electoral gain.
Earlier, AIADMK MP M Thambidurai accused the DMK government of using the language issue as a political tool ahead of elections. He suggested that if Stalin were truly committed to solving the language issue, he should withdraw permission for all CBSE schools in Tamil Nadu, as the NEP and the inclusion of Hindi are tied to the CBSE system. “Why can’t ministers take a stand that there must be only two languages?” he questioned.
On Monday, DMK members staged a protest near the Trichy central bus stand in Tiruchirappalli, distributing pamphlets to raise public awareness about their opposition to the three-language system in Tamil Nadu.
The DMK has long been vocal about its commitment to protecting the Tamil language and resisting any efforts to make Hindi dominant, fearing it could undermine Tamil culture and identity.
(With agency inputs)