‘Tamil Is No One’s Monopoly’: Pradhan Says Centre Not Imposing Language As DMK Escalates NEP Row

Last Updated:March 11, 2025, 22:03 IST

Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday clarified that the central government is not imposing any language on anyone, nor is it taking away anyone’s rights

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan speaks in the Rajya Sabha.

Amid the ongoing dispute between the Tamil Nadu government and the Centre over alleged “Hindi imposition,” Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday clarified that the central government is not imposing any language on anyone, nor is it taking away anyone’s rights.

Responding to questions on the functioning of the Ministry of Education in the Rajya Sabha, Pradhan stressed that India is a multilingual country and assured that the Modi government would not “hurt anyone’s feelings based on language.”

The Education Minister stated that “Tamil language is no one’s monopoly” and expressed that there was no need for anyone to question the central government’s commitment to Tamil. He referenced an incident in the Tamil Nadu Assembly in 1989, when the late Jayalalithaa, then Leader of the Opposition, was physically assaulted by DMK members.

“What they did to Jayalalitha on the floor of the house, we don’t need anyone’s certificate on whether we are committed to Tamil language or not. We are fully committed to Tamil language,” Pradhan noted.

On PM SHRI school scheme

In his address, Pradhan also referred to a letter from the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary, which confirmed the state’s willingness to adopt the PM SHRI school scheme.

The senior BJP leader stood by his claim that the Tamil Nadu government had initially agreed to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the scheme but later took a U-turn.

Pradhan also shared a consent letter from the Tamil Nadu School Education Department, dated 15th March 2024, to support his claims on social media X.

Meanwhile, government sources told News18 that since the PM-SHRI schools are mandated to follow the NEP, Tamil Nadu’s initial agreement to the scheme essentially meant agreeing to the NEP.

The Union Minister also shared that number of Tamil-medium students in government schools had decreased over the last six years, while the teaching of “colonial language” was on the rise.

The Education Minister further explained that the NEP prioritises mother tongues, and in Tamil Nadu, the NEP had designated Tamil as the primary language. However, he pointed out the contradiction, with Tamil-language education declining while the teaching of other languages, particularly Hindi, had increased in schools.

“You can call me a fool, but you cannot make a fool of the people of Tamil Nadu. You can abuse me, but don’t deny the opportunities to the youngsters of Tamil Nadu,” he noted.

‘Spreading misinformation won’t change facts’

In response to Dharmendra Pradhan’s remarks, Tamil Nadu’s Education Minister Anbil Mahesh stated that spreading misinformation would not alter the facts. He reaffirmed that Tamil Nadu has consistently opposed the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, claiming it “undermines our successful education model”.

Mahesh took to X to clarify, saying, “There’s no ‘sudden change in stance’.” He further explained that the letter dated 15th March 2024 was not an endorsement of the NEP.

“TN engages with central schemes only when beneficial to students, but that doesn’t mean blind acceptance of any scheme or framework,” he added.

The DMK minister also accused those supporting the imposition of the NEP of playing politics and distorting “Tamil Nadu’s culture and legacy.”

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