‘Tamil Is No One’s Monopoly’: Pradhan Says Centre Not Imposing Language As DMK Escalates NEP Row – News18

Last Updated:March 11, 2025, 21:46 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

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.

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.

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