New Delhi: The ongoing debate over the tri-language policy under the National Education Policy (NEP) has reignited tensions between the Tamil Nadu government and the Centre. The controversy stems from the Centre’s push for students across the country to learn three languages, while Tamil Nadu remains firm on its two-language policy, teaching only Tamil and English.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan recently advised the Tamil Nadu government to “rise above politics” and adopt the NEP. In response, DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin strongly opposed the suggestion, saying that the state would not abandon its long-standing two-language system. This has intensified the verbal exchange between Stalin and Pradhan.
Language policy revised
Under the NEP, students from classes 6 to 10 must study three languages, one of which can be Hindi, while schools can choose the other two. In non-Hindi-speaking states, the third language can be English or any other modern Indian language. For classes 11 and 12, schools can offer a foreign language as an optional subject.
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Tamil Nadu opposes this policy, arguing that it undermines its cultural and linguistic autonomy. The state has historically resisted the imposition of Hindi, a stance rooted in the anti-Hindi agitations of the mid-20th century. Pradhan further escalated tensions by linking the release of Rs 2,400 crore under the Samagra Shiksha Mission to the state’s adoption of the NEP.
He assured that the policy does not seek to impose any language but promotes linguistic freedom. Reacting sharply, CM Stalin warned that Tamil people would not tolerate “blackmail or threats” from the Centre. He said that if the funds were withheld, the government would face the unique resistance of Tamil Nadu.
Hindi’s limited reach
Census data from 2011 highlights why this issue remains sensitive in the region. While 43.63 per cent of India’s population identified Hindi as their mother tongue, the figure was significantly lower in the southern and northeastern states. Only 0.54 per cent of Tamil Nadu’s population spoke Hindi, while Kerala had 0.15 per cent, Karnataka 3.29 per cent, and Andhra Pradesh and Telangana combined had 3.6 per cent.
