The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its alliance partners have announced a statewide protest on February 18 to oppose the Union government’s push for the three-language policy in Tamil Nadu.DMK general secretary Duraimurugan confirmed that the protest will take place at 4:00 PM near the Chennai District Collector’s office. In an official statement, he accused the Central government of coercing Tamil Nadu into adopting the policy.
“Why is the Union government betraying Tamil Nadu? They are trying to impose their language agenda on us. We will not remain silent. If they attempt to suppress us, Tamil Nadu will unite and resist,” Duraimurugan said.
The protest follows remarks made by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan at the Kashi Tamil Sangamam in Varanasi, where he stated that funds would be allocated only to states that implement the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which includes the three-language formula.
Tamil Nadu has long opposed the imposition of Hindi and Sanskrit, advocating for its two-language policy of Tamil and English. The upcoming protest signals a renewed confrontation between the DMK-led state government and the BJP-led Centre over language and education policies.