'Hindi imposition' row: Stalin sharpens attack; ‘start engg, medical courses in Tamil,’ says Shah
Shah’s remarks come after Stalin accuses Centre of “imposing” Hindi “to a nauseating extent, suffocating non-Hindi speakers, who are the majority in India"
Soon after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin renewed his attack on the Centre on the ‘Hindi imposition’ row, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday (March 7) urged the former to commence engineering and medical education in Tamil medium in the state.
Targetting the chief minister on the language issue, especially given Stalin's opposition to Hindi, Shah said the Narendra Modi government effected changes and now ensured that the CISF aspirants could write the exam in their respective regional languages.
Also read: Why does South, except TN, have no problem with Hindi? | Talking Sense with Srini
Shah’s 'appeal' to Stalin
"Now the PM Narendra Modi government has ensured that the exam can be written in Tamil too," the home minister said, speaking at the 56th Raising Day of the CISF at RTC Thakkolam in Ranipet, about 70 km from Chennai.
"I appeal to the Tamil Nadu chief minister to start the engineering and medical education in Tamil in the state for the benefit of students." He said Tamil Nadu's culture played a vital role in strengthening India's cultural stream.
"Be it administrative reforms, attaining spiritual heights, education or the unity and integrity of the nation - Tamil Nadu has reinforced Indian culture in every sphere," Shah said at the event.
Stalin launches fresh attack
Shah’s remarks came hours after Stalin in another series of letters to the Centre, posted on X, accused the Centre of “imposing” Hindi “to a nauseating extent, suffocating non-Hindi speakers, who are the majority in India".
In his letter in DMK party mouthpiece, 'Murasoli', Stalin, who is currently on a collision course with the Centre on the three-language policy advocated in the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020, wrote that “Tamil Nadu will not tolerate Hindi colonialism replacing British colonialism...Hindi imposition to a nauseating extent is suffocating non-Hindi speakers - from names of schemes to awards to Union government institutions."
Pointing out that the state will not be blackmailed into surrendering to the central government's demand of implementing the NEP, a defiant Stalin also challenged the BJP to make the "three-language policy" its core agenda for the 2026 state elections - since it would backfire.
He mocked their “circus-like” signature campaign for the three-language formula, which has, according to the DMK veteran, become a "laughing stock" in Tamil Nadu.
Biggest irony
Further, he pointed out that the “biggest irony” is that Tamil Nadu had already achieved many of the NEP goals, which the policy aims to reach by 2010. "So, this is like an LKG student lecturing a PhD holder," he stressed. Dravidians do not take dictations from Delhi, he said and instead set the course for the nation to follow.
Also read: Exclusive: 'Centre pushing Hindi through the backdoor', says TN minister Anbil Mahesh
Provoked
He also slammed Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for trying to threaten the state to accept "Hindi imposition". This refers to Pradhan's warning that funds for Tamil Nadu would be withheld until the state accepts the NEP in its entirety, which sparked off Stalin's language war against the Centre.
According to Stalin, it was the Union education minister who “provoked” them when they were simply doing their job. He forgot his place and dared to threaten an entire state to accept Hindi imposition and now he faces the consquences of reviving a fight he can never win.
Also read: Annamalai slams Stalin: 'Tamil not even mandatory subject in schools run by DMK leaders'
Need of the hour
The NEP, which advocates a three-language policy does not "impose" any language on any state, according to the BJP.
The BJP in Tamil Nadu argues that a three-language formula is the need of the hour and would help people when they travel to other states. BJP state chief K Annamalai accused Stalin of not popularising the Tamil names of the central programmes.
"The centre has given Tamil names to a few trains in Tamil Nadu. What had MK Stalin done during the UPA regime to get Tamil names for trains? There are Tamil names for flagship programmes in Hindi and the Tamil Nadu government should popularise them," he asserted.
Stalin's latest attack on the Centre comes even as Amit Shah visits Tamil Nadu today to attend the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) raising day event.
