Chennai, February 23: Amid rising tensions surrounding language policies in Tamil Nadu, pro-Tamil activists blackened the Hindi text on the name board of Pollachi Junction Railway Station on Sunday. This act follows ongoing criticism from the ruling DMK, which has accused the Central government of attempting to impose Hindi on the state.
The activists targeted the Hindi lettering of “Pollachi Junction,” prompting immediate action from railway officials within the Palakkad division to restore the board. Southern Railway's Palakkad division issued a statement, confirming that the Pollachi Railway Protection Force (RPF) had identified the offenders and filed a case under the Railways Act. The defaced text was swiftly restored.
The DMK-led Tamil Nadu government has been vocal about its opposition to what it describes as "Hindi imposition" by the Centre, particularly through the National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has strongly criticized the policy, claiming it could push the state backward by 2,000 years. He stated that Tamil Nadu would reject NEP, even if offered incentives worth Rs 10,000 crore.
Stalin also accused Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan of attempting to enforce Hindi through the NEP's three-language policy, a move Tamil Nadu opposes. The Chief Minister has consistently emphasized that his government will resist any policy that threatens Tamil identity or the state's interests.
Stalin further pointed out the disparity in funding for languages, noting that while Tamil is spoken by over 80 million people, it has received only Rs 74 crore for development. In contrast, Sanskrit, which has only a few thousand speakers, was allocated Rs 1,488 crore.
The language issue remains a key political flashpoint in Tamil Nadu. Both the ruling DMK and its ally, the AIADMK, have expressed strong support for the state's existing two-language policy, which mandates Tamil and English as the medium of instruction. Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin reiterated that Tamil Nadu would not implement the three-language system proposed under the NEP.
The opposition AIADMK also backs the two-language policy, asserting that Tamil Nadu must maintain its linguistic autonomy. Amid growing tensions between the Tamil Nadu government and the Centre, Chief Minister Stalin has also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release Rs 2,152 crore in pending funds under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) for the state.
In a sternly worded letter, Stalin criticized the Centre's decision to link SSA funds to the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) Scheme, arguing that these are distinct programs. He claimed this move violated cooperative federalism principles and could harm thousands of students and teachers in Tamil Nadu. Stalin accused the Union government of using fund allocations as a means of pressuring states into accepting the NEP 2020.
