Daijiworld Media Network – Chennai

Chennai, Feb 27: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has once again reiterated the state's strong opposition to what he calls the Centre’s attempts to impose Hindi, vowing to safeguard Tamil and its rich cultural heritage.

"Opposing Hindi imposition is non-negotiable. Hindi is merely a mask, while Sanskrit is the hidden force behind it," Stalin asserted in a letter to party members.

The ruling DMK has consistently accused the Central government of pushing Hindi through the three-language formula under the National Education Policy (NEP)—an allegation the Union government denies.

In his letter, Stalin argued that several regional languages spoken in North India—such as Maithili, Brajbhasha, Bundelkhandi, and Awadhi—have been eroded due to the dominance of Hindi.

"Over 25 native languages of North India have suffered due to the imposition of Hindi and Sanskrit. In contrast, the Dravidian movement has successfully protected Tamil through awareness campaigns and various agitations," he stated.

Tamil Nadu has staunchly opposed the NEP, asserting that it covertly promotes Hindi and Sanskrit at the expense of other languages. While the BJP has claimed that the policy allows for the inclusion of foreign languages as a third option, Stalin countered that in practice, only Sanskrit is being prioritized in several states.

He cited examples of BJP-ruled Rajasthan, where he claimed that Sanskrit teachers were being appointed in place of Urdu instructors.

"If Tamil Nadu embraces the three-language policy, Tamil will be sidelined, paving the way for Sanskritisation," he warned.

Stalin also pointed to NEP provisions that state Indian languages will be taught in schools "in addition to Sanskrit," while others, like Tamil, could be relegated to online learning.

"This makes the Centre’s intentions clear—it seeks to eliminate languages like Tamil while promoting Sanskrit," he charged.

Referencing Dravidian leader and former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai, Stalin emphasized that Tamil Nadu’s two-language policy was introduced decades ago to ensure that "Aryan cultural imposition through Hindi-Sanskrit does not erase Tamil’s identity."

Tamil Nadu remains firm in its stance, he declared, pledging to continue resisting any attempts to diminish the prominence of the Tamil language and culture.