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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