Chennai, March 10
The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu is set to launch statewide agitations against the three-language formula under the National Education Policy (NEP).
The party has scheduled public meetings across all districts on March 12 under the banner “Tamil Nadu Will Fight, Tamil Nadu Will Win.”
Over the past few days, the DMK youth wing has held public meetings in all 234 assembly constituencies, strongly opposing the three-language policy. These events are part of a larger effort to mobilise public sentiment against what the party sees as threatening Tamil Nadu’s linguistic and cultural identity.
In addition to language policies, the DMK plans to highlight concerns over the Union government’s proposed delimitation exercise and alleged disparities in financial allocations to states. Party leaders will use these meetings to critique the policies of the BJP-led central government, arguing that the proposed changes undermine Tamil Nadu’s political and economic interests.
All DMK Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) will participate in the statewide protests.
During these meetings, attendees will take the “One Goal” oath, administered by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, pledging to resist Hindi imposition and safeguard the state’s future. The party is also using this movement as a platform to train and groom young leaders, equipping them with skills in public speaking, grassroots organisation, and mobilisation efforts.
The DMK think tank believes these initiatives will strengthen the party’s youth wing and prepare the next generation of political leaders.
With the Parliament session commencing Monday, the DMK plans to aggressively raise multiple issues, including the delay in the disbursement of funds under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
The party will also come out strongly against the Union government’s refusal to provide flood relief assistance to Tamil Nadu. The non-release of funds under the Samagra Shiksha scheme, allegedly due to the state’s rejection of the NEP will also be highlighted by the DMK.
The decision to take a more confrontational stance comes in response to criticism from opposition parties, particularly the newly formed Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), led by actor Vijay. TVK and other opposition groups have accused DMK MPs of underperformance in Parliament. The DMK aims to counter this criticism by taking a proactive approach in both state-level agitation and national debates.
CM Stalin has also criticised what he describes as the discriminatory allocation of funds for language development by the Union government. He pointed out that despite Tamil being spoken by approximately eight crore people, only Rs 74 crore has been allocated for its development.
In contrast, Sanskrit, with a significantly smaller number of speakers, has received Rs 1,488 crore. Stalin has been vocal in his opposition to the BJP government’s alleged attempts to impose Hindi on Tamil Nadu through the NEP.
His resistance to the policy has extended beyond India, as he recently expressed solidarity with Tamil diaspora protesters in the United States. A group of Tamil activists in Dallas, USA, recently held demonstrations against the Union government’s language policy, accusing it of undermining Tamil Nadu’s two-language system.
CM Stalin shared a video of the protest and a news report on social media, using the hashtag #VazhgaTamil to express his support.
