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With the Tamil Nadu Assembly election around the corner, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announcement that it will implement the three-language formula in a phased manner from 2026-27 kicked off a war of words between the DMK government in the State and the BJP-led regime at the Centre on “Hindi imposition” versus “progressive and inclusive multilingualism”.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin slammed the CBSE’s move, which is driven by the National Education Policy 2020, arguing that it is a “covert” way of “imposing” Hindi on non-Hindi speaking States with no “reciprocity”. He demanded that his opponents in the State — the AIADMK and their NDA allies — choose whether they would support the policy, or whether they would, “for once, stand up for the rights, identity, and future of our students.”
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan hit back, saying that this “narrative” was a “tired attempt to mask political failures.” He added that “mischaracterising” the policy to portray multilingualism as a threat was “misplaced”.
‘Rank hypocrisy’
The three-language policy is a “calculated and deeply concerning attempt at linguistic imposition that vindicates our long-standing apprehensions,” Mr. Stalin said, adding that it was being advanced “under the guise of promoting ‘Indian languages’.” Calling out “the stark and unacceptable irony,” the CM said: “The same union government that has failed to make Tamil a mandatory language in Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan schools - and has consistently failed to appoint adequate Tamil teachers - now seeks to lecture States on promoting Indian languages. This is not commitment; this is rank hypocrisy.”
Mr. Stalin added, “The union government appears determined to impose Hindi, brushing aside the legitimate, consistent, and democratic concerns raised by Tamil Nadu and several other States.” He called this approach a “direct affront” to the principles of cooperative federalism and an “insult” to the linguistic identity of millions of Indians.
‘Creating barriers for youth’
In response, Mr. Pradhan said, “By misrepresenting a flexible policy as ‘compulsory Hindi’, you are not defending Tamil; you are creating barriers that deny our youth the opportunity to become multilingual global leaders... Tamil is not weakened by the learning of additional languages; it is enriched when its speakers are multilingual, confident and linguistically empowered.”
Dismissing concerns about reciprocity, the Education Minister said this argument “ignored ground reality,” noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership had ensured that Tamil is “celebrated as a national treasure,” and citing the government’s Kashi Tamil Sangamam and other efforts on the global stage. He claimed that the union government “actively encourages students across India to embrace Indian languages,” even while the Tamil Nadu government “continues to deprive Tamil students of diverse opportunities for the sake of a divisive vote bank.”
The arguments continued on X, with DMK leaders including Kanimozhi and P. Wilson supporting Mr. Stalin’s arguments on the social media platform, while T.N. BJP leader K. Annamalai backed Mr. Pradhan’s argument by asking how the policy imposes Hindi on students. However, neither of the BJP’s allied parties in Tamil Nadu could be seen jumping into the argument on social media.
Ground realities
In his statement criticising the three-language framework for “effectively translating into compulsory Hindi learning,” Mr. Stalin asked if students in Hindi-speaking States would be mandated to learn Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, or even Bengali or Marathi? Calling the policy “ill-conceived,” he asked whether the union government was awake to the ground realities of “teacher availability, training capacity, and infrastructure.”
He added: “This is not merely a question of language - it is a question of fairness, federalism, and equal opportunity. By structurally privileging Hindi-speaking students, this policy risks creating entrenched advantages in higher education and employment, further widening regional disparities... India’s strength lies in diversity - not in enforced uniformity.”
Mr. Pradhan responded, saying, “The talk of resources is merely a facade. It is the DMK government that has stalled the establishment of PM SHRI schools in Tamil Nadu by refusing to sign the MoU after giving an undertaking for the same.” He also accused the DMK government of “obstructing” the implementation of Navodaya Vidyalayas in the State, saying this was “prioritising political narratives over educational quality”. The Education Minister asserted that it was because of the DMK’s “dishonest politics” that modern infrastructure and teachers had been “effectively withheld,” reiterating his government’s “commitment” to funding and teacher training.
‘Defending Constitutional rights’
In response, Mr. Stalin said that Mr. Pradhan’s remarks were “deeply irresponsible and reckless, and reflect an entrenched disregard for India’s plurality, federal values, and respect for States.” In his post on X, Mr. Stalin reiterated that Tamil Nadu firmly rejects the three-language policy, which he said was not just about opposing languages, but about resisting imposition and defending Constitutional rights.
“Your earlier disparaging remarks about Tamils in Parliament, followed by a belated apology, only underscore a pattern of conduct that is unacceptable. The claim that there is ‘no Hindi imposition’ is plainly dishonest. When a policy structurally corners non-Hindi speaking States like Tamil Nadu into adopting a third language with little real choice, and when crucial education funding is tied to compliance, it ceases to be a matter of choice,” Mr. Stalin said.
“It is nothing short of audacity to illegally withhold a humongous sum of ₹2,200 crore under the ‘Samagra Shiksha’ scheme, effectively penalising Tamil Nadu for refusing to accept Hindi imposition. These are not discretionary grants, but funds that rightfully belong to the people of Tamil Nadu, collected through taxes, cannot be weaponised as a tool of coercion,” the DMK president said.
‘Whither true linguistic diversity?’
Tamil Nadu will not accept language imposition under any circumstances, whether disguised as flexibility, backed by financial pressure, or projected as national interest, he declared. This policy places an unnecessary burden on students, infringes upon the rights of states, and attempts to dilute India’s linguistic diversity into a monochromatic, homogenised “One India” framework, he said.
“In the din of rhetoric, you must not evade basic questions. What third Indian language is actually being implemented in schools across Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat? How many PM SHRI schools genuinely offer south Indian languages such as Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, and languages like Bengali, Odia, and Marathi in northern India? How many schools under the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan are actually teaching Tamil? How many Tamil and other south Indian language teachers have been appointed in the last 10 years?” Mr. Stalin asked, challenging the Union Minister to place on record how much the NDA government has spent on promoting classical languages like Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Odia, compared to Sanskrit.
“Your suggestion that Tamil Nadu lacks school infrastructure is equally baseless. We have built one of India’s strongest public education systems through decades of sustained investment, high enrolment, strong learning outcomes, and pioneering welfare initiatives,” he said.
Two-language success stories
Tamil Nadu will not abandon its proven two-language policy, built on social consensus and strong educational outcomes, for a Centrally driven framework that undermines diversity, burdens students, and weakens the federal fabric of India, the Chief Minister said. Tamil Nadu’s language policy stands as a success story on the global stage, with Tamils making their mark in science and technology, medicine and space research. The State’s economic growth and inclusivity are deeply rooted in this model, he said, adding that the State’s assertions can be proved through empirical data, while the Centre’s arguments are purely rhetorical and devoid of any real data in the educational sphere.
“It is both inaccurate and dismissive to suggest that Tamil Nadu’s schools lag in modern education. In enrolment, learning outcomes, and innovation, Tamil Nadu continues to lead. Over the last five years, the Tamil Nadu government has achieved significant progress in infrastructure and introduced pioneering initiatives such as the Chief Minister’s Free Breakfast Scheme benefiting over 20 lakh students. The DMK’s manifesto for the 2026 election promises extension of the CM breakfast scheme up to Class VIII, benefiting an additional 15 lakh students. Public education remains our top priority, viewed not as expenditure but as a social investment generating long-term societal benefits,” Mr. Stalin said.
The Chief Minister challenged Mr. Pradhan to proclaim, on Tamil Nadu’s soil, that every Indian child should compulsorily learn three languages, even while seeking the votes in the State.
English (US) ·