Stalin says Tamil Nadu ready for 'language war'

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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin reiterated his strong stance against the “imposition of Hindi”, declaring that the state is “ready for another language war” if necessary. His remarks come amid growing concerns over the Centre’s three-language policy.

The MK Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has consistently opposed the three-language policy, insisting that Tamil Nadu will continue with Tamil and English and accusing the BJP-led NDA government of attempting to push Hindi on the state. The ruling party has frequently cited the anti-Hindi agitations of 1965, during which the Dravidian movement successfully resisted the imposition of Hindi.

When asked whether the Centre was “sowing the seeds for another language war” through its alleged attempts to impose Hindi, Stalin responded, “Yes, certainly. We are ready for it.” The language police has been a long-standing point of contention between the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government and the BJP-led Union Government.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai hit back at Stalin’s remarks, accusing the DMK of hypocrisy when it comes to language policy. In a post on X, Annamalai alleged that while Stalin claims not to oppose any language, government school students in Tamil Nadu are denied the opportunity to learn a third language, unlike their peers in CBSE and matriculation private schools.

“Is Mr. Stalin implying that there is no restriction on learning a third language, but if you want to learn it, you should enrol your children in CBSE or matriculation schools run by DMK members?” Annamalai questioned. He further claimed that the DMK had double standards, with “one rule for the wealthy and another for the poor”.