Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has launched a sharp attack on the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party over the ongoing controversy surrounding the three-language policy in the National Education Policy (NEP). In his address in the Lok Sabha, Pradhan accused the DMK of being “dishonest” and putting Tamil Nadu students’ future at risk by using education as a political tool.
“They (DMK) are dishonest. They are not committed to the students of Tamil Nadu. They are ruining the future of Tamil Nadu students. Their only job is to raise language barriers. They are doing politics. They are doing mischief. They are undemocratic and uncivilised,” Pradhan said.
The issue also sparked a walkout by the DMK in the Rajya Sabha after raising concerns about the three-language policy and issues related to delimitation. In response, Union Health Minister JP Nadda criticized the opposition for their behavior, stating that the walkout was an “irresponsible” move. Nadda also suggested that opposition members, including the Leader of Opposition, should undergo a refresher course to understand parliamentary rules and regulations.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has strongly criticized Pradhan, accusing him of provoking a conflict with the state over the NEP and language policies. Stalin declared that Tamil Nadu would not be “blackmailed” into accepting Hindi imposition and rejected the National Education Policy, which he claimed ignored the state’s achievements in education.
Stalin remarked, “The tree may prefer calm, but the wind will not subside. It was the Union Education Minister who provoked us to write this series of letters when we were simply doing our job. He forgot his place and dared to threaten an entire state to accept Hindi imposition, and now he faces the consequences of reviving a fight he can never win.”
He further stated, “Tamil Nadu, which rejects NEP, has already achieved many of its goals, which the policy aims to reach only by 2030. This is like an LKG student lecturing a PhD holder. Dravidam does not take dictations from Delhi. Instead, it sets the course for the nation to follow.”
In addition, Congress leader P. Chidambaram weighed in on the debate, suggesting that a discussion on the three-language policy is premature unless the two-language policy is effectively implemented first. Chidambaram noted that the three-language policy has not been successfully implemented in most states and criticized the one-language formula prevalent in Hindi-speaking regions.
He said, “Three languages should be taught in schools. No state in India is implementing the three-language formula. Particularly in Hindi-speaking states, it is effectively a one-language formula. The common language is Hindi, the official state language is Hindi, the medium of instruction is Hindi, and the subject they study is Hindi. If at all another language is taught, it is Sanskrit.”