Chennai, Mar 7:
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has accused the BJP-led central government of being obstinate and denying education funds to the state, stating that the Union government is refusing to respect the rights of states.
In his letter, Stalin addressed the criticism that Tamil Nadu is losing central funds due to its firm stance against the three-language policy. He clarified that Tamil Nadu is not being stubborn but is clear about its language policy. He accused the BJP-led central government of disregarding state rights and withholding education funds as a means of exerting pressure.
The DMK government, Stalin asserted, respects the Indian Constitution, whereas the BJP government is attempting to undermine it. He reiterated that India’s official languages are Hindi and English, and Tamil Nadu, along with several other states, insists that this status quo must be maintained. The CM emphasized that protecting mother tongues is a cause Tamil Nadu has long championed, a path that many other states are now following.
The Dravidian movement has always stood against Hindi domination, Stalin said. He questioned how many students in Hindi-speaking states follow the three-language formula and what their third language is. He challenged the central government to justify the imposition of a third language on Tamil Nadu while Hindi-speaking states largely avoid learning a second Indian language properly.
The Chief Minister pointed out that even the BJP government’s own reports acknowledge Tamil Nadu’s progress in education and skill development. Despite this, the Union government is trying to impose a third language on the state and deny funds if Tamil Nadu refuses to comply. Stalin described this as a deliberate attack on Tamil people and vowed to uphold state autonomy and cooperative federalism.
The CM also accused the BJP-led government of attempting to reduce the number of Lok Sabha seats allocated to South Indian states through delimitation. He stated that the DMK government has raised the first voice of opposition against this move, which he sees as part of a larger strategy to erode state rights. Stalin warned that if necessary, Tamil Nadu would launch protests against such central policies.
“We will always oppose Hindi imposition and protect our language and rights,” Stalin declared, reaffirming Tamil Nadu’s commitment to preserving its linguistic and political identity.