The Centre and Tamil Nadu are locked in a fierce battle over the three-language policy, with political leaders and spiritual figures now stepping into the heated debate. Amid growing tensions, Bageshwar Dham Sarkar Acharya Dhirendra Krishna Shastri asserted that Hindi is the “original language of this country,” while stressing that all languages must be treated with respect.
“The original language of this country is Hindi. Languages may be different, but there should not be any discrimination against any language. Hindi is the root of this country,” he told new agency.
His remarks came just as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin doubled down on his opposition to the three-language formula under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Taking to X, Stalin invoked the state’s long history of resisting Hindi imposition:
“1967: Anna sat down; Tamil Nadu rose! If any harm comes to the proud Tamil Nadu, let us flee like wildfire! Let us roar like wildfire! Let us celebrate the victory!”
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu BJP has launched a massive signature campaign in support of the three-language policy. Led by state president K Annamalai and senior leader Tamilisai Soundararajan, the campaign argues that learning additional languages will create better job opportunities for students.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also weighed in, rejecting allegations of Hindi imposition. Speaking in Haridwar, Pradhan clarified that the NEP promotes all Indian languages equally and does not force Hindi as the primary language.
However, Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin issued a strong warning, declaring that the state will never accept the NEP or any form of Hindi imposition. Stalin has also accused the Centre of withholding funds from Tamil Nadu and using language policies as a tool to politically undermine the state.
