DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, heading an all-party Indian parliamentary delegation to Europe, asserted on Monday that “the national language of India is unity in diversity.” Her remark came in response to a question from the Indian diaspora during an interaction in Madrid, Spain—the final leg of the delegation’s five-nation tour aimed at engaging the global community on terrorism and India’s counterterrorism operations following Operation Sindoor.
“The national language of India is unity in diversity. That is the message this delegation brings to the world, and that is the most important thing today,” Kanimozhi said, reinforcing India’s commitment to pluralism and coexistence.
Her statement holds particular weight given the DMK’s strong opposition to the Centre’s proposed three-language policy under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The DMK has long argued that the policy amounts to the imposition of Hindi on non-Hindi-speaking states, especially Tamil Nadu, and has instead advocated for a two-language formula—Tamil and English. The party sees the push for Hindi as a threat to federalism and linguistic autonomy.
The row flared again recently after the Union Education Ministry reiterated its emphasis on Hindi as a “link language,” drawing criticism from DMK leaders who accuse the Centre of promoting a “Hindi-Hindutva agenda” in the guise of education reform.
Addressing another question from the diaspora on terrorism, Kanimozhi said, “So much has to be done in our country and we want to do that. Unfortunately, we are being diverted. We have to deal with terrorism, war—which is absolutely unnecessary.” She assured the audience that India remains a secure nation, adding, “They may try whatever they want, they cannot derail us. We will ensure that Kashmir remains a safe place.”
The all-party delegation includes Rajeev Rai (Samajwadi Party), Mian Altaf Ahmad (Jammu and Kashmir National Conference), Brijesh Chowta (BJP), Prem Chand Gupta (RJD), Ashok Kumar Mittal (AAP), and former diplomats Manjeev Singh Puri and Jawed Ashraf.
Their tour, which covered Spain, Greece, Slovenia, Latvia, and Russia, is part of a broader outreach programme by the Indian government. Seven such delegations have been sent to 33 global capitals to counter misinformation from Pakistan and strengthen international support for India’s counterterrorism stance.
Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.