'Stop Hindi imposition on us': Stalin intensifies attack on Centre over language row

NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin on Tuesday upped the ante on alleged Hindi imposition by the BJP-led central government through the three-language formula under the National Education Policy (NEP).Stalin said that unlike in the South, no initiative was taken in the North to propagate Tamil learning.The DMK chief said north Indians were never asked to learn Tamil to "preserve" the language and asked the BJP to leave "Tamil Nadu alone"."A century has passed since the Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha was set up to make South Indians learn Hindi. How many Uttar Bharat Tamil Prachar Sabhas have been established in North India in all these years? Truth is, we never demanded that North Indians must learn Tamil or any South Indian language to ‘preserve’ them. All we ask is to Stop Hindi Imposition on us. If BJP-ruled states want to teach 3 languages or even 30, let them! Just leave Tamil Nadu alone!" Stalin wrote on X.The three-language formula under the NEP 2020 promotes multilingualism while ensuring flexibility in language learning. It mandates that students learn three languages, with at least two being Indian languages, though the choice of languages is left to states and schools. The policy encourages the mother tongue or regional language as the medium of instruction at least until class 5, preferably until class 8 and beyond. While it allows English as an option, it does not impose any particular language, emphasising state autonomy in language selection. Despite its flexible approach, states like Tamil Nadu oppose the policy, fearing it could lead to the imposition of Hindi over regional languages.Stalin has incessantly been attacking the rival BJP over the policy, saying Hindi "swallowed" over a score of regional languages in the North. Calling the "real" regional languages of North India "relics of the past", Stalin said last week that a "push for a monolithic Hindi identity is what kills ancient mother tongues". "More than 25 north Indian native languages have been destroyed by the invasion of hegemonic Hindi-Sanskrit languages. The century-old Dravidian movement safeguarded Tamil and its culture because of the awareness it created and the various agitations," the ruling DMK chief said. In a sharp-worded criticism of the ruling BJP's three-language policy under NEP, the Tamil Nadu CM claimed that "invaders with ethnic hostility for centuries have attempted to destroy the unique Tamil culture". Intensifying his attack, the CM said the "three-language policy, we find that in most states, either Hindi or Sanskrit is being prioritised over other Indian languages". "Will oppose Hindi imposition. Hindi is the mask, Sanskrit is the hidden face," he said in a letter to partymen.Meanwhile, in a tightrope walk, the BJP's Tamil Nadu chief K Annamalai alleged that DMK was "deliberately misconstruing the NEP for political gains". The BJP has stressed in the southern states that the DMK's allegation of Hindi imposition is without a basis as the three-language, which was first rolled out under Congress governments, focuses on the promotion of all Indian languages, rather than a specific one.