synopsis

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has intensified his opposition to the Centre’s three-language policy under NEP 2020, calling it "Hindi colonialism." In a post on X, Stalin declared that Tamil Nadu will never accept Hindi imposition, likening it to British colonial rule.

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday (Mar 07) continued his criticism of what he perceives as an imposition on non-Hindi speakers, labeling the Centre’s three-language policy under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 as a form of "Hindi colonialism."

In an English-language post, Stalin asserted that Tamil Nadu would not accept "Hindi colonialism" as a replacement for "British colonialism."

"The tree may prefer calm, but the wind will not subside." It was the Union Education Minister who provoked us to write this series of letters when we were simply doing our job. He forgot his place and dared to threaten an entire state to accept #HindiImposition, and now he faces the consequences of reviving a fight he can never win. Tamil Nadu will not be blackmailed into surrendering," he wrote on X.

" The biggest irony is that Tamil Nadu, which rejects #NEP, has already achieved many of its goals, which the policy aims to reach only by 2030. This is like an LKG student lecturing a PhD holder. Dravidam does not take dictations from Delhi. Instead, it sets the course for the nation to follow."

"Now the BJP’s circus-like signature campaign for the three-language formula has become a laughing stock in Tamil Nadu. I challenge them to make this their core agenda in the 2026 Assembly elections and let it be a referendum on Hindi imposition," Stalin wrote.

"History is clear. Those who tried to impose Hindi on Tamil Nadu have either been defeated or later changed their stance and aligned with DMK. Tamil Nadu will not tolerate Hindi colonialism replacing British colonialism."

"Men may come, men may go. But even long after the dominance of Hindi is shattered in India, history will remember that it was DMK that stood as the vanguard," he wrote.

On Thursday, Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai stated that more than one lakh people across the state had backed the party's online campaign in favor of the three-language policy. He further emphasized that the BJP would persist with its outreach efforts despite police intervention, challenging the government on how many people it could "illegally arrest."

The three-language formula introduced under NEP 2020 aims to promote multilingualism while allowing flexibility in language education. It requires students to learn three languages, with at least two being Indian languages, though the final choice is left to individual states and schools.

The policy advocates using the mother tongue or regional language as the medium of instruction at least until Class 5, preferably extending to Class 8 and beyond. While English remains an option, no specific language is mandated, ensuring states retain autonomy in language selection.