Stalin slams BJP for ‘Hindi imposition’, lauds Maharashtra’s resistance
Stalin emphasizes that TN’s resistance to Hindi imposition is not merely emotional but rooted in reason, aimed at preserving India’s pluralistic culture
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday (July 5) came down heavily on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its attempts to “impose Hindi” on non-Hindi-speaking states, accusing the central government of withholding education funds to coerce compliance with the three-language policy.
In a lengthy post on X, Stalin hailed the people of Tamil Nadu and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) for their relentless fight to protect linguistic rights, a movement he said has now sparked a “storm of resistance” in Maharashtra.
Solidarity with Maharashtra
Stalin criticized the BJP for threatening to withhold funds under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan scheme—amounting to Rs 2,152 crore—unless Tamil Nadu schools adopt Hindi as a third language. He called this move “unlawful and anarchic”, accusing the central government of retaliating against states that resist its Hindi-centric agenda.
“The BJP has been forced to backtrack for the second time in Maharashtra due to the people’s uprising,” Stalin said, expressing solidarity with the protests led by Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai.
Praising the Maharashtra agitation, Stalin highlighted questions raised by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray: “What is the third language taught in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan? Why impose Hindi on progressive non-Hindi-speaking states when Hindi-speaking states lag behind?”
Stalin asserted that the central government, fixated on promoting Hindi and Sanskrit, has no answers to these queries.
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Discrimination against Tamil Nadu?
The chief minister emphasized that Tamil Nadu’s resistance to Hindi imposition is not merely emotional but rooted in reason and logic, aimed at preserving India’s pluralistic culture. He warned that the BJP’s policies threaten to erase India’s linguistic diversity, citing historical examples of languages lost to Hindi dominance.
Stalin also dismissed claims that learning Hindi guarantees jobs as “empty rhetoric”, urging those swayed by such arguments to learn from Maharashtra’s uprising.
Stalin further accused the BJP of discriminating against Tamil Nadu in fund allocations and refusing to recognize the Keeladi civilization’s significance.
“We will not tolerate this betrayal of Tamil and Tamil Nadu,” he declared, warning that the state would teach the BJP and its allies an “unforgettable lesson” if they fail to rectify their actions.
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Stalin demanded the immediate release of Tamil Nadu’s rightful education funds and called for an end to the central government’s “vindictive” stance.