The death of May 17 Movement activist Siva Thileepan, who succumbed to injuries after jumping in front of a train during a protest against alleged Hindi imposition, has triggered political reactions and sharp criticism over the Chief Minister MK Stalin’s response.

Tamil news channel Sun News first reported on 18 March 2026 that Thileepan had died despite undergoing treatment for severe injuries sustained during the incident.

On 11 March 2026, during an anti‑Hindi protest at Park station, Thileepan was caught on camera taping over the Hindi portion of a nameboard and then, moments later, jumping in front of an oncoming train, reportedly declaring that his “body should become the weapon” against Hindi imposition. He had earlier posted on his Facebook saying, “Long live Tami! Down with Hindi!
My body belongs to the earth; my life belongs to Tamil!”

He was rushed to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital with grievous injuries and died on March 17 despite intensive treatment, a development Sun News reported on March 18 as a “language martyrdom”.

 

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Stalin quickly moved to frame the incident in lofty rhetoric. In a long condolence post, he described Thileepan as a “brother” whose sacrifice weighed on everyone’s hearts, folded the death into a heroic lineage of anti‑Hindi agitations, and addressed May 17 leader Thirumurugan Gandhi and the family in the language of ideological comradeship. At the same time, he added a carefully worded appeal against future suicides and self‑immolation, urging cadres to use “innovative, peaceful, far‑reaching methods of struggle” made possible by technology.

He wrote, “No more lives should be lost from now on! During the struggle against Hindi script imposition, brother Mr. Siva Tileepan, overwhelmed with emotion, rushed in front of a train, and his passing despite intensive treatment weighs heavily on our hearts. The lives we have sacrificed in the language struggle are enough! No more lives should be lost from now on! With the help of technology, we have gained many innovative, peaceful, and far-reaching methods of struggle! We must defeat this Hindi imposition through our intellect, mental resolve, and love for Tamil! In this battle, our lives must not fall. Think about how Mother Tamil would survive if Tamil warriors like us perish. There are other ways to express our emotions; self-immolation is unnecessary—I earnestly plead and request this. I extend my deepest condolences and solace to Comrade Thirumurugan Gandhi, who mourns the loss of brother Siva Tileepan, to the members of the May 17 Movement, and to his family—including his two daughters filled with Tamil consciousness and his spouse.

#StopHindiImposition #SaveTamilLives”

இனி ஒரு உயிரும் போக வேண்டாம்!

இந்தி எழுத்து அழிப்புப் போராட்டத்தின்போது உணர்ச்சிவயப்பட்டு இரயில் முன் பாய்ந்த சகோதரர் திரு. சிவா திலீபன் அவர்கள் தீவிர சிகிச்சை பலனளிக்காமல் உயிரிழந்தது மனதைக் கனக்கச் செய்கிறது.

மொழிப்போரில் நாம் ஈந்த உயிர்ப்பலிகள் போதும்! இனி ஒரு உயிரும் போகக்…

— M.K.Stalin – தமிழ்நாட்டை தலைகுனிய விடமாட்டேன் (@mkstalin) March 18, 2026

The Chief Minister’s remarks have drawn criticism for the messaging risks politicising a tragic act of self-harm.

While Stalin formally advised against such extreme actions, his reference to “lives sacrificed in the language struggle” effectively frames the incident within a larger ideological narrative, potentially lending it symbolic legitimacy.

The act involved vandalism of public property followed by a fatal attempt on a railway track, raising concerns about law and order as well as public safety – issues that were not directly addressed in the political messaging.

The incident has reignited debate over the nature of protests surrounding language policy and the responsibility of political leadership in shaping public response.

While the State government has consistently opposed what it describes as “Hindi imposition,” critics argue that rhetoric around linguistic identity must be carefully calibrated to avoid encouraging extreme forms of protest.

At the same time, Stalin’s statement explicitly discouraged self-harm and called for non-violent, technology-driven forms of dissent, reflecting an attempt to balance political positioning with public caution.

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The post Fringe Dravidian Separatist Outfit Cadre Vandalizes Railway Station Nameboard With Hindi Names, Jumps In Front Of A Train And Dies, MK Stalin Hails Him As A Martyr appeared first on The Commune.

Questions are being raised over whether Parasakthi, the upcoming Tamil film directed by Sudha Kongara and starring Sivakarthikeyan, will see a theatrical release in Hindi-speaking North Indian states. The film, which draws heavily from Dravidian political narratives and their anti-Hindi imposition, has become the subject of speculation after claims surfaced that Hindi distributors are unwilling to acquire its dubbed rights.

 

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What The Movie Is About

Set in the 1960s, the film is based on true events surrounding the 1965 anti-Hindi agitations. These were massive student-led protests against the Congress government’s push to make Hindi the sole official language. With Assembly Elections set to happen in a few months, the film is meant to peddle pro-DMK propaganda by whipping up linguistic passions. It also sanitizes and whitewashes the role of EV Ramasamy Naicker (hailed as ‘Periyar’ by his followers) who had opposed the 1965 anti-Hindi agitation and made acerbic remarks against the protestors.

Release Hurdles

While the film’s makers have not officially commented on the issue, there has been no announcement so far regarding a Hindi release, even as the Pongal 2026 release window approaches. Industry observers note that big-ticket Tamil films with pan-India ambitions usually secure or at least announce North Indian distribution well in advance, something conspicuously absent in the case of Parasakthi.

The speculation gained traction amid claims that the film’s ideological positioning could make it commercially unviable in Hindi-speaking markets.

Parasakthi reportedly foregrounds themes drawn from Tamil anti-Hindi agitations and Dravidian political narratives – themes that historically have had limited resonance, and in some cases outright resistance, outside Tamil Nadu.

Social media chatter has also linked the uncertainty surrounding the Hindi market to unrelated project exits attributed to Sivakarthikeyan, though no official confirmation exists to support such claims. Nevertheless, the absence of clarity has only added to the perception that the film’s appeal may be regionally confined.

Compounding the issue are reports — yet to be officially denied — that Parasakthi faced objections during the certification process, particularly with respect to scenes referencing anti-Hindi movements. The makers are alleged to have approached the revising committee of the Central Board of Film Certification, suggesting that even within India, the film’s content may be considered politically sensitive. Reddit users speculate that the CBFC removed scenes and dialogues in Parasakthi related to the ‘Hindi imposition’ issue and reportedly led to the team sending the film to the revising committee.

Notably, while the film is backed by production and distribution entities closely aligned with the ruling political ecosystem in Tamil Nadu, there has been no indication of a coordinated push to take the film beyond the State. Critics argue that this silence itself is telling, especially for a project projected as a large-scale political drama.

At this stage, the makers have neither confirmed nor denied plans for a Hindi release. Until such clarity emerges, claims that Parasakthi will not find takers in the Hindi belt remain speculative but the lack of distributor announcements, coupled with the film’s ideological framing, continues to fuel questions about its pan-India prospects.

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The post Will Sudha Kongara’s Anti-Hindi Film ‘Parasakthi’ Produced By Udhayanidhi’s Son Release In Hindi-Speaking North Indian States? appeared first on The Commune.

Filmmaker Sudha Kongara’s upcoming period political drama Parasakthi, headlined by Sivakarthikeyan, has sparked intense political discussion even before its release, with growing focus on whether the film will foreground the historical role of the Indian National Congress in imposing Hindi on non-Hindi-speaking states.

Set against the backdrop of the 1965 anti-Hindi agitations in Tamil Nadu, Parasakthi is nearing completion and is slated for a Pongal 2026 theatrical release. An immersive promotional installation titled World of Parasakthi is currently being held at Valluvar Kottam, featuring recreated 1960s Madras streets, period props, and character exhibits tied to the film.

While early speculation framed Parasakthi as a film targeting contemporary language politics, it is argued that the film’s core theme could point squarely at Congress-era Hindi imposition, particularly under Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi.

While the film is believed to talk about the 1965 anti-Hindi agitations, it is making the viewer curious if the film will actually talk about the largely forgotten historical sequence: that the push for Hindi as a unifying national language began under Congress leadership, not the BJP, as is being projected by the Dravidianists.

Mahatma Gandhi is the one who had initiated the Hindi Prachar Sabha, in Madras (now Chennai). The Dakshina Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha was founded in 1918 specifically at Madras by Mahatma Gandhi to propagate Hindi among non‑Hindi speakers in the southern provinces, and he served as its founding president.

Gandhi personally pushed the Hindi‑prachar campaign in Madras: he sent his son Devdas there as the first pracharak, first Hindi classes were held at Gokhale Hall in George Town, and Gandhi made multiple trips to Madras and other southern centres to promote learning Hindi as part of Congress’s national‑integration vision.

This effort was later carried forward by Nehru and formally institutionalised during the tenure of Indira Gandhi. The Constitution (Article 343(1)) itself envisaged that Hindi would become the sole official language of the Union after a 15‑year transition ending in 1965, with English to be used only during that period; this provision was adopted in 1949, before Indira Gandhi’s tenure as PM. As 1965 approached, the Congress government at the Centre (by then under Lal Bahadur Shastri) initially prepared to let Hindi become the primary Union language, triggering the massive anti‑Hindi agitations in Tamil Nadu.

The widespread belief in Tamil Nadu, that only the BJP imposes Hindi while the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam resisted it, oversimplifies history. The 1965 agitations were directed primarily against Congress rule at the Centre, not against the BJP, which did not exist in its current form at the time.

The Bengali Language Movement of 1952 in East Bengal and the subsequent 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War are said to have served as an international warning against language imposition, and the experience of East Pakistan was frequently cited by Indian commentators and some political leaders as a “bitter lesson.”

However, contemporary accounts of 1965 indicate that the immediate trigger for New Delhi’s retreat from plans to make Hindi the sole official language was the intensity of the anti-Hindi agitations in Madras State itself. Widespread protests, suicides, arson, riots, and a near-total shutdown of the State compelled Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri to publicly assure the continued use of English alongside Hindi.

While the linguistic conflict in East Pakistan had already demonstrated how enforced language policies could fracture a nation, it was the scale and violence of the 1965 protests in Tamil Nadu that forced the Congress-led government to act decisively. Critics argue that this reassessment of language policy stemmed less from sustained political pressure by the DMK and more from the immediate fear of social unrest and national instability, reinforced by the cautionary precedent of Bangladesh.

 

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Against this backdrop, will Parasakthi be a film that challenges the dominant political narrative around language politics? Despite the film’s apparent critique of Congress-led Hindi imposition, it is being actively promoted by DMK-aligned entities, including Red Giant Movies.

Whether Parasakthi explicitly reframes the anti-Hindi agitations as a movement against Congress, and not the BJP, remains to be seen. However, the debate surrounding the film has already reopened questions about who imposed Hindi, why it was resisted, and how language politics in Tamil Nadu have been reshaped and retold over decades.

The question to be asked is this – will Sudha Kongara’s Parasakthi unsettle the DMK–Congress alliance by confronting inconvenient history, or will it be repackaged to reinforce a contemporary narrative that shifts blame onto the BJP?

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The post Sudha Kongara’s Anti-Hindi Agitation Film ‘Parasakthi’: To Help DMK Strong-Arm Congress Or Peddle Propaganda Against BJP? appeared first on The Commune.

DMK leaders and ministers in Tamil Nadu have been continuously misrepresenting the difference between individuals who are educated in a language and those who speak it as their mother tongue but  illiterate and engaged in manual labor. Strategically, they continue to push a divisive narrative under the guise of opposing the Hindi language while belittling the hard work of North Indian laborers who migrate across states for their livelihood.

In the latest controversy, Tamil Nadu’s Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Minister, T.M. Anbarasan, made contentious remarks at a DMK event, stating that Hindi speakers in his household are engaged in cattle herding. His comments were seen as disparaging towards migrant laborers who earn their livelihood through hard work and perseverance.

The statement was made during a meeting held under the banner of the I.N.D.I.A. alliance in the Pallavaram Assembly constituency. At the event, Minister Anbarasan strongly criticized the central government’s trilingual policy, arguing that it contradicts Tamil Nadu’s well-established two-language system.

He credited the global success of Tamils to the two-language policy introduced by former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai, claiming that it allowed them to thrive in various professional fields abroad. He further asserted that those proficient in Tamil and English have made significant strides internationally, whereas he generalized that individuals educated in Hindi are often engaged in labor-intensive jobs such as cattle herding, street vending, or masonry.

He said, “Where are the ones who studied Hindi? Where are they? those who studied Hindi are rearing cows at my home. I’m not joking, It’s true. They are selling Panipuri, mason, carpenters. If we study Hindi we also have to go to North India and sell Panipuri.” 

அண்ணாவின் இருமொழி கொள்கையால், தமிழர்கள் உலகம் முழுவதும் பரவிக் கிடப்பதாகவும் பெருமிதம்

இந்தி படித்தவன் தன் வீட்டில் மாடு மேய்ப்பதாக அமைச்சர் தா.மோ.அன்பரசன் பேச்சு#Anna #TwoLanguagePolicy #Tamilnadu #Hindi #Cow #Minister #DamuAnbarasan pic.twitter.com/wcXpo7Jn8A

— Thanthi TV (@ThanthiTV) March 18, 2025

In response to DMK MSME Minister T.M. Anbarasan’s remarks, Tamil Nadu BJP Chief strongly criticized him, accusing DMK leaders of routinely belittling North Indian workers while disregarding Tamil values and culture. He pointed out that Minister Anbarasan, who has only completed schooling up to the 11th grade and has poor proficiency in Tamil, holds a significant position in the state government.

The BJP leader further alleged that the DMK government has negatively influenced the youth by enabling unrestricted liquor sales and easy access to drugs. He condemned the party for disrespecting migrant laborers who have contributed to filling Tamil Nadu’s labor shortage.

Clarifying misconceptions about the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, he stated that unlike previous Congress-led education policies, NEP is not centered around Hindi but aims to promote all Indian languages. It emphasizes mother-tongue-based education, allowing Tamil to be the primary medium of instruction while also providing students in government schools the opportunity to learn a third language or foreign languages at the secondary level. He asserted that the people of Tamil Nadu have recognized the benefits of NEP 2020 and urged the DMK to stop wasting efforts on misleading propaganda and spreading division.

Annamalai via his official X account stated, “DMK Ministers take great joy in belittling our brothers and sisters from Northern India, often forgetting our Tamil values and culture. DMK Minister Thiru Anbarasan avl is an 11th pass, has very poor Tamil proficiency, and is the Minister of MS&ME in TN Govt. Having intoxicated the younger populace of our state with unrestricted liquor sales and easy access to drugs, the DMK should be ashamed for demeaning the people who have filled in the labour deficit of our state. The NEP 2020 is not about Hindi like the previous educational policies released by the Congress party. It is about promoting all Indian languages, with emphasis on the mother tongue (Tamil) as a medium of instruction, and the opportunity for our government school students to learn a third language and foreign languages at the secondary level. The people of TN have realised this, and DMK should stop wasting their energy in spreading their defunct propaganda and spreading hatred.”

DMK Ministers take great joy in belittling our brothers and sisters from Northern India, often forgetting our Tamil values and culture.

DMK Minister Thiru Anbarasan avl is an 11th pass, has very poor Tamil proficiency, and is the Minister of MS&ME in TN Govt. Having intoxicated… pic.twitter.com/84bLjhbA0s

— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) March 18, 2025

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The post “Those Who Studied Hindi Are Rearing Cows At My House, Selling Panipuri”: DMK Minister Peddles Hate Against North Indians appeared first on The Commune.

Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai has strongly countered Congress Tiruvallur MP Sasikanth Senthil, who alleged that the decline in the percentage of Tamil Nadu candidates clearing the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) was due to the central government’s policies. Senthil, a former IAS officer, also accused Annamalai of attributing the issue to Tamil students not knowing Hindi.

In his sharp rebuttal, Annamalai dismissed these claims, calling Senthil’s remarks “fake news spread like a DMK henchman for political gain.” He asserted that the real reason behind the declining success rate of Tamil Nadu candidates in UPSC exams is the DMK-Congress alliance’s failure in strengthening government schools, while they prioritized private institutions run by their leaders.

To further disprove Senthil’s allegations, Annamalai shared a video of his speech, clarifying that he never claimed Tamil students’ failure was due to a lack of Hindi proficiency. Instead, he emphasized that the state’s education policies under the ruling alliance were to blame.

Posting his formal response on his official X account, Annamalai stated, “Starting with the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, the DMK, and all I.N.D.I. Alliance MPs, have made it a habit to lie. Mr. @s_kanth has falsely claimed that I said Tamil students failed the UPSC exams because they did not know Hindi. It is unfortunate that someone who held a high position in the government has stooped to the point of spreading fake news, like a DMK henchman, for sake of politics. I have attached a video of what I spoke about. It is true that the percentage of rural students from Tamil Nadu passing the UPSC exam has declined. However, the reason for this is that the DMK-Congress alliance has prioritized private schools they run while rendering government schools ineffective—not the central government. Does Mr. @s_kanth, who acknowledges that rural students have failed, also admit that the Tamil Nadu government’s curriculum is inferior to that of private schools? We hope he will, at the very least, support providing quality education to Tamil Nadu’s government school students through the National Education Policy.”

In the video attached Annamalai explained, “They look at only GER. GER is the only data the Tamil Nadu government brings to say, ‘Look at the Gross Enrolment Ratio we have crossed 50%’, I’m sure you know it has also dropped to 49%. Tamil Nadu’s Gross Enrolment Ratio is not 51% but dropping to 49%. If we look out all the indicators… In civil services, how many of us passed Civil Services? last year Tamil Nadu was 45 ten years back we were at 120. How many of us get into medical colleges, IIT? How many of us are getting into it? Tamil Nadu has become one of the state which has got least number of entrance into all these higher education institution. Why is not Tamil Nadu’s education minister looking at that? Education is not about number schools or number of colleges also about quality. Tamil Nadu scores because access to education because of more schools not by them but Kamaraj built 18,000 schools. Because of the access to education is good we are topping many parameters and when it comes to quality why Tamil Nadu is in the bottom of all tables?” 

தமிழக முதலமைச்சர் தொடங்கி, திமுக மற்றும் ஒட்டு மொத்த இந்தி கூட்டணிக் கட்சி எம்பிக்கள் அனைவருமே பொய் சொல்வதையே வாடிக்கையாக வைத்திருக்கிறார்கள். ஹிந்தி மொழி தெரியாததால்தான் தமிழ் மாணவர்கள் UPSC தேர்வுகளில் தேர்ச்சி பெறவில்லை என்று நான் கூறியதாக திரு @s_kanth அவர்கள் பொய்… https://t.co/igKRTuaW96 pic.twitter.com/Jx3Kjhg283

— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) March 8, 2025

Misleading Claims By Congress MP Sasikanth Senthil

This rebuttal from Annamalai is in response to Congress Tiruvallur MP Sasikanth Senthil, who, through his official account, falsely claimed that Annamalai attributed the decline in Tamil Nadu students’ UPSC success rate to their lack of Hindi proficiency.

In a video statement, Senthil acknowledged the drop in the number of successful candidates from Tamil Nadu, providing statistics to illustrate the trend. He stated that in 2013-14, out of 1,126 candidates who cleared the UPSC exam nationwide, 119 were from Tamil Nadu, making up 10.6%. However, by 2020, only 45 Tamil Nadu candidates qualified out of 781 nationwide, reducing the share to 5%. In the latest examination, out of 1,016 successful candidates across India, only 45 were from Tamil Nadu, further declining to 4.4%.

Despite these figures, Senthil conveniently blamed the central government for changes in the UPSC exam pattern, disregarding the fact that UPSC, as a constitutional body, independently determines its examination structure. He further propagated the false claim indirectly stating that these changes were introduced by the BJP after 2014, pushing a misleading narrative that held the central government responsible for the declining success rate of Tamil Nadu students.

However, the real fact is that the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT), which replaced the Optional paper in the Preliminary Exam, was introduced in 2011 under the Congress-led government—not after 2014. The CSAT brought a shift in focus toward reasoning and problem-solving, and it was implemented during the UPA era, not under the BJP government.

In his video, former IAS officer and current Congress MP Sasikanth Senthil conveniently pushed the DMK’s agenda in Tamil Nadu, adopting a tone of sorrow while blaming competitive exams such as NEET, CUET, and others. He misrepresented these exams as being designed for the wealthy, completely ignoring their actual intent of ensuring a transparent and merit-based selection process.

Congress Tiruvallur MP Sasikanth Senthil via his official X account stated that, “Tamil Nadu BJP state president Mr. @annamalai_k has said that the reason why Tamil students do not succeed in the UPSC exam is because they do not know Hindi. In fact, the BJP came to power and changed the curriculum and education system, reducing the pass rate from 10.6 percent before 2014 to 4.4 percent today, which has made it impossible for rural students to even think about the UPSC exam.”

ஹிந்தி மொழி தெரியாததால் தான் தமிழ் மாணவர்கள் UPSC தேர்வில் வெற்றி பெறாததற்கு காரணம் என்று தமிழ்நாட்டு பா.ஜ.க மாநில தலைவர் திரு. @annamalai_k கூறியுள்ளார். உண்மையில் பா.ஜ.க ஆட்சிக்கு வந்து பாட திட்டத்தில், கல்வி முறையில் மாற்றம் செய்து 2014 ற்கு முன்பு 10.6 சதவித தேர்ச்சியாக… pic.twitter.com/q1OyQ5FSnu

— Sasikanth Senthil (@s_kanth) March 8, 2025

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The post “Fake News Spread Like A DMK Henchman”, BJP TN Chief Annamalai Calls Out Congress MP Sasikanth’s Misleading Claims On TN’s UPSC Success Rate appeared first on The Commune.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday took on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin over the language issue under the National Education Policy (NEP), urging the state to introduce engineering and medical education in Tamil.

Speaking at the CISF Raising Day event in Thakkolam, HM Shah criticised the DMK government for not doing enough in this regard, asserting that it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration that had made significant policy changes to promote regional languages in recruitment. “Until now, there was no provision for mother tongue in CAPF recruitment.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi ensured that our youth can now take the CAPF exam in all languages listed in the Eighth Schedule, including Tamil,” HM Shah said.

“I urge the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu to take immediate steps to introduce medical and engineering courses in Tamil,” he added.

Earlier in the day, CM Stalin had targeted Shah over the alleged imposition of Hindi, declaring that he had “revived a fight he can never win.”

CM Stalin criticised the Centre’s three-language formula under NEP 2020, calling it “Hindi colonialism” and asserting that Tamil Nadu would not tolerate it.

In a post on X, CM Stalin wrote, “It was the Union Education Minister who provoked us to write this series of letters when we were simply doing our job. He forgot his place and dared to threaten an entire state into accepting #HindiImposition. Now, he faces the consequences of reviving a fight he can never win. Tamil Nadu will not be blackmailed into surrendering.”

On Thursday, CM Stalin had also warned that any form of imposition breeds enmity and threatens unity. He accused BJP leaders of questioning the DMK government’s patriotism despite its contributions to national causes. “The tree may prefer calm, but the wind will not subside,” he said, blaming the controversy on the Union Education Minister’s remarks.

With Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu scheduled for next year, CM Stalin has ramped up his attacks on the BJP in recent weeks on the issues of delimitation and Hindi.

–IANS

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The post Tamil Nadu Should Open Up Engineering, Medical Education In Tamil: HM Shah’s Retort To MK Stalin appeared first on The Commune.

In the week-long controversy over the alleged imposition of Hindi, the DMK and its allied partners vocally opposed the introduction of a third language in Tamil Nadu. They accused the central government of forcing Hindi through the National Education Policy (NEP). However, their strategy did not gain traction. The political stance of the Congress, which has implemented the NEP in all the states where it governs, was particularly contradictory. Despite this, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) President Selvaperunthagai announced protests against Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his visit to Coimbatore on 26 February 2025, accusing him of imposing the three-language policy and the NEP.

During a press conference on 25 February 2025, Selvaperunthagai stated, “Our Union Home Minister is coming to Coimbatore, and we will democratically protest against him by showing black flags. He has consistently opposed Tamil Nadu’s interests, rejecting the state government’s proposals. The three-language policy, the Prime Minister’s Education Scheme, and the New Education Policy are all aimed at suppressing Tamil Nadu. He even insulted Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in Parliament. Therefore, the Congress Committee has decided to protest against him whenever he visits the state.”

Congress’s Double Standards Exposed

However, Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai countered these claims, exposing the DMK’s hypocrisy in the Hindi imposition debate. He pointed out that several senior DMK leaders and coalition partner leaders own CBSE schools in Tamil Nadu, where Hindi is taught without objection. Yet, the same leaders refuse to extend the opportunity of learning an additional language to students in government schools.

TNCC President Selvaperunthagai’s Contradiction

Selvaperunthagai’s stance is contradictory on two fronts: first, in contrast to his party’s national approach and the policies adopted by Congress-led states, and second, in his own personal choices, which reveal a clear bias. While Congress governments in Karnataka and Telangana have fully implemented the NEP, recognizing its advantages for students, the Tamil Nadu Congress unit has chosen to align itself with the DMK’s opposition. This selective stance suggests that Tamil Nadu’s Congress leadership is more focused on echoing the DMK’s rhetoric rather than maintaining a uniform party position on education policies.

Adding to the contradiction, TNCC President Selvaperunthagai, who argues that introducing a third language would be detrimental to Tamil Nadu students, has ensured that his own daughter received an education that included multiple languages. In an interview, he revealed that his daughter studied B.Com at Stella Maris College, completed her schooling at Good Shepherd School, pursued a master’s degree at Birmingham University in England, and is now in her final year of an MBA at Anna University.

Notably, Good Shepherd Schools in Chennai offer English, Tamil, Hindi, and French as part of their curriculum.

Despite opposing language diversity in government schools for underprivileged students, Selvaperunthagai had no reservations about enrolling his daughter in an institution that promotes multilingual education, further exposing his double standards on the issue.

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Tamil activists and enthusiasts have raised concerns over the deteriorating condition of the Tamil Development and Cultural Center in Tirunelveli, which has remained abandoned, overgrown with bushes, and left without maintenance. They have urged the district administration to utilize the facility, at the very least, for the upcoming two-day official language seminar planned at the Tirunelveli Collector’s Office.

Located on Uzhuvai Road in NGO Colony, the center was constructed to host events for the Tamil Development Department. Spanning approximately 50 cents of land, the building covers 10,000 square feet, with 5,000 square feet on each floor. Its prime location near the Tirunelveli New Bus Stand makes it an ideal venue not only for Tamil Development Department activities but also for literary and cultural events. However, despite its potential, the center has remained inactive for years.

The administration of the center falls under the jurisdiction of the District Collector, with the Deputy Director of the Tamil Development Department serving as Secretary. Although there are additional officials such as Joint Secretaries and Executive Committee members, the facility has been left unused. Meanwhile, official language seminars continue to be held at the Collector’s Office instead of utilizing this purpose-built center.

Activists argue that shifting such events to the Tamil Development and Cultural Center would help restore its relevance. They also emphasize the need for its revival to support book publications, literary events, and other Tamil cultural activities. The call for action has reignited hopes that the neglected center will once again serve its intended purpose.

DMK’s Hypocrisy: Claim To Save Tamil While Letting It Deteriorate

For the past week, the ruling DMK has been loudly proclaiming that it is protecting Tamil from the “invasion” of other languages, particularly Hindi. But in reality, has the party truly safeguarded Tamil language and culture in the state? The answer is a resounding no. Just like the abandoned Tamil Development and Cultural Center in Tirunelveli—left to decay, overgrown with bushes, and without proper maintenance—Tamil itself has suffered under the Dravidianist rule.

Abysmal Levels Of Tamil Literacy Among Students As Per ASER Report 2024

A stark example of this neglect can be seen in the shocking findings of a Tamil reading assessment conducted for school students in the ASER report 2024:

Class 3 Reading Levels: A Crisis in Tamil Education

• 8.6% of students cannot even recognize letters in Tamil.
• 18.2% can identify letters but cannot read words.
• 36.3% can read words but fail to comprehend even a Class 1-level text.
• Shockingly, only 12% of Class 3 students can read at a Class 2 level.

The Learning Crisis in Government and Private Schools

• 86.8% of Class 3 government school students cannot read a Class 2 text.
• Even in private schools, 90% of Class 3 students fail to meet this benchmark.
• 63% of Class 5 government school students still struggle to read a Class 2 text.
• Alarmingly, even in private schools, 32.3% of Class 5 students fail this basic test.

These numbers expose the deep crisis in Tamil education, proving that the DMK’s rhetoric on protecting the language is nothing more than a political stunt. Instead of actually strengthening Tamil education, the party has let literacy rates plummet—leaving students unable to read in their own mother tongue.

No Tamil Prachar Sabha Established Anywhere In The Country

For all the talk about the presence of Hindi Prachar Sabha in Tamil Nadu, there is not a single Tamil Prachar Sabha established by the so-called guardians and saviours of Tamil language – the Dravidianists.

The DMK often boasts about its efforts to uphold the Tamil language, frequently citing its role in securing Classical Language status for Tamil in 2004. However, while the central government actively supports classical languages through various initiatives, the Tamil Nadu government has failed to implement similar measures to truly promote Tamil.

The benefits of Classical Language status are extensive—it helps preserve ancient knowledge, cultural identity, and literary traditions, fosters research and academic study by establishing research centers and university chairs, provides national awards for scholars, offers financial assistance to promote the language, and supports focused teaching and advanced studies. Despite these advantages, has the Tamil Nadu government established anything comparable to the Hindi Prachar Sabha? The answer is a big no.

While the central government allocates funds for the development of Tamil, the DMK has done little to establish dedicated institutions that systematically promote the language. Their claims of protecting Tamil remain empty rhetoric, with no real action to back them up.

(With inputs from Dinamalar)

The post DMK Cries About Imaginary Hindi Imposition, Here’s How They’re Protecting Tamil appeared first on The Commune.

In a bold statement aimed at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said that he will not stop at implementing three languages but will promote 10 languages in his state. He said that he has plans to introduce the teaching of 10 languages in every university across the state. Speaking at a public event, he underscored the importance of multilingual education, advocating for the promotion of Telugu and English while also encouraging students to learn Hindi for better communication across India.

“Knowledge is different. Language is different. Now I’m going to promote 10 languages. Every university, 5-10 international languages. You study, go and work there. They need your services. Not only 3 languages, multilanguage.”, Chandrababu Naidu said.

He further added “Telugu we’ve to promote. English is international language for livelihood. Hindi better to learn so that it will be very easy to mingle with people. Nothing wrong in it.” which comes as a stinging response to MK Stalin who has been peddling hate against Hindi.

Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu-

“I will promote 10 languages in every University.

International languages help students to study, go and work there.

We should promote Telugu and English but It is better to learn Hindi, so that we can mingle with people easily.” pic.twitter.com/InCk031DoL

— News Arena India (@NewsArenaIndia) March 5, 2025

The DMK led by its Chief Minister MK Stalin has been going on a tirade against Hindi while refusing to implement the three language formula as laid down by the National Education Policy 2020. The NEP 2020 doesn’t mandate the teaching of Hindi but instead calls for introducing children to mother-tongue education till grade 5, learn English and any other Indian language. Tamil Nadu could implement the 3 language policy by introducing Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, or any other language.

However, the DMK has weaved an imaginary Hindi imposition narrative. DMK cadres have been defacing Hindi words on the boards of central government offices and buildings at locations including Sankarankoil, Pollachi, and Palayamkottai railway stations, as well as on the boards and banners at the Parangi Malai post office and BSNL office.

While DMK leaders either run CBSE schools or their kids study in schools that implement 3 language policy and teach Hindi, they’re denying the same opportunity to government school students.

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The post “Not 3, I’m Going To Promote 10 Languages”: Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu’s Slipper Shot Response To MK Stalin’s Anti-Three Language Policy Stance appeared first on The Commune.

The provincial languages that are widely spoken in different states of India will never lose their relevance due to the acceptance of Hindi as the state language of the country, former state Congress chief in West Bengal Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said on Wednesday. “Hindi has been accepted as the official state language of the country.

However, besides Hindi, there are several other provincial languages which are spoken in many states concerned. It is wrong to think that the provincial languages will lose their relevance because of accepting Hindi as the state language of the country,” Chowdhury told IANS on Wednesday. He pointed out that besides Hindi, 22 other languages are accepted by the Union government. “Each language has its own relevance. It would be wrong to consider the differences over language as the rift between North and South. If there are differences, those could be settled through discussions,” Chowdhury said.

Chowdhury’s comments come amid a statement by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s comments on Tuesday where he accused the BJP of and the Union government of imposing Hindi through the three-language formula under the National Education Policy (NEP). He also issued a statement claiming the Tamils never demanded the North Indians to learn the Tamil language or any other South Indian language to preserve them.

He said that the demand from Tamils is that Hindi should not be imposed on them. “If BJP-ruled states want to teach three languages or even 30, let them! Just leave Tamil Nadu alone,” Stalin said in his statement. Recently in West Bengal, several pro-Bengali groups have surfaced who had accused the BJP of not just trying to impose Hindi on the Bengali but also introducing “cow-belt culture” in the state. Some of these groups have also demanded that it should be mandatory to learn and speak Bengali for anyone staying in West Bengal.

–IANS

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