Stalin Accuses Centre of Forcing Hindi; Amit Shah Demands Tamil Curriculum Reforms
New Delhi – n a fresh clash over language policy, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has accused the central government of trying to impose Hindi on non-Hindi speaking regions. In response, Home Minister Amit Shah called on the Tamil Nadu government to introduce medical and engineering courses in Tamil, arguing that Stalin has not done enough to promote regional languages.
Shah pointed out that, until now, candidates for the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) exam had only the options of Hindi or English. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent decision now allows youths to take the exam in any language listed in the Eighth Schedule, including Tamil. He urged Tamil Nadu to follow suit by incorporating Tamil into professional education curricula as soon as possible.
Home Minister @AmitShah Ji puts Stalin on the back foot!
— Pradeep Bhandari(प्रदीप भंडारी)(@pradip103) March 7, 2025
In Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu, Amit Shah shattered DMK’s false narrative and exposed their betrayal of Tamil pride!
For years, DMK ignored Tamil in national exams—but it took PM @narendramodi Ji’s leadership to ensure CAPF… pic.twitter.com/ozbbNAO9jJ
This policy change, which permits CAPF exams to be conducted in 13 regional languages including Tamil, was approved by the Centre in 2023. The move came shortly after Stalin’s protests against the exam being restricted to Hindi and English.
In a lengthy social media post, MK Stalin criticized the Union government for attempting to enforce Hindi through the National Education Policy (NEP). He accused the Union Education Minister of overstepping his bounds and threatening Tamil Nadu’s cultural identity. Stalin likened the situation to a kindergarten student lecturing a PhD holder, insisting that Tamil Nadu’s success under the current two-language system was proof that the state did not need further impositions.
Stalin also recalled past efforts to introduce Hindi in Tamil Nadu, noting that such attempts either failed or eventually resulted in political realignments in favor of his party, the DMK. He condemned the widespread use of Hindi in naming government schemes, awards, and institutions, arguing that it marginalizes the majority of Indians who do not speak the language.
Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai countered these claims on social media, dismissing Stalin’s criticism as exaggerated. He highlighted that their online signature campaign against the NEP’s three-language formula had gathered over 200,000 supporters in just 36 hours and maintained strong support across the state, challenging Stalin to make language imposition a central issue in the upcoming 2026 Assembly elections. As the debate over language policies heats up, the confrontation underscores the enduring cultural and political divide over linguistic identity in India.