We are not against Hindi, only its imposition, clarifies Udhayanidhi Stalin
Tamil Nadu Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin on Friday said rejecting Hindi imposition did not mean the state was hostile to the language or considered itself separate from the rest of India.
“We are not against any language, including Hindi. We are not functioning as a separate state. We are a state with our own uniqueness,” the DMK leader said.
Udhayanidhi also rejected any link between learning Hindi and patriotism, saying Tamil Nadu’s two-language policy should not be viewed as a challenge to national unity.
“Respecting unity in diversity and allowing individual states to follow their preferred language policy will further strengthen India’s integrity,” he said.
His remarks came a day after the Supreme Court asked Tamil Nadu to reconsider its opposition to Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas and observed that Hindi could not be completely excluded from the state.
Udhayanidhi said Tamil Nadu did not need Navodaya Vidyalayas as it already ran similar schools for disadvantaged students. He also called for a special Assembly session to pass a resolution against Navodaya Vidyalayas in the state.UDHAYANIDHI FLAGS RS 3,548-CRORE FUNDING ROW
Udhayanidhi accused the Centre of withholding Rs 3,548 crore due to Tamil Nadu under the Samagra Shiksha scheme because the state had refused to adopt the three-language policy.
He said Tamil Nadu should not be denied education funds for continuing with its two-language system.
The DMK leader pointed to the state’s performance in higher education, women’s workforce participation and science to argue that knowledge of Hindi was not essential for professional success. He cited Tamils holding senior positions at the Indian Space Research Organisation and other institutions.
Udhayanidhi said the two-language policy introduced during former Chief Minister CN Annadurai’s tenure reflected Tamil Nadu’s linguistic position and must be protected.WHAT THE SUPREME COURT SAID
A Bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Augustine George Masih was hearing Tamil Nadu’s plea to recall an earlier order directing it to identify land for Navodaya schools in every district.
“You have to change your mindset. It can’t be that Hindi will not be taught in the soil of Tamil Nadu,” Justice Nagarathna observed during the hearing.
The Bench asked Tamil Nadu and the Centre to resolve their differences through talks and stressed the importance of cooperative federalism.
“People in Chennai should not alienate Delhi and vice versa,” it remarked.
The court said Navodaya schools would give students another educational option without affecting Tamil Nadu’s existing institutions or lowering their standards.
The court granted the state another three months to identify land and will hear the case again on December 14.WHY TAMIL NADU OPPOSES THE SCHOOLS
Tamil Nadu follows a two-language policy and opposes the Navodaya system because its three-language framework includes Hindi. The state also maintains that decisions involving education and language fall within its constitutional powers.
Senior advocate Jaideep Gupta, appearing for Tamil Nadu, told the court that the Navodaya scheme was optional and that the state could not be compelled to implement a central policy.
The Centre said Tamil Nadu was required only to provide land and that the Union government would bear the remaining cost of establishing the schools.
The dispute reached the Supreme Court after the Madras High Court ruled that the centrally funded residential schools did not violate state law and would give students more educational choices.- EndsPublished By: Aprameya RaoPublished On: Sep 18, 2026 21:44 IST
