How Are States Dealing with the Language Issue? South India’s Resistance to Hindi Imposition Heats Up in 2025

 

Hyderabad, March 9, 2025 – The debate over Hindi imposition has reignited tensions across South India, with Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu grappling with the central government’s push for linguistic uniformity under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Triggered by recent statements from Union leaders and funding disputes tied to the three-language formula, these states are asserting their linguistic identities in distinct yet interconnected ways. As of today, March 9, 2025, the issue has escalated into a broader confrontation over federal autonomy, cultural diversity, and political power, with each state responding to the perceived threat of Hindi dominance differently.

The Trigger: NEP, Funding, and Political Rhetoric

The latest flare-up stems from the Union government’s insistence on implementing the NEP’s three-language formula, which mandates that students learn three languages, including at least two native to India, with flexibility in choice left to states. However, southern states see it as a veiled attempt to prioritize Hindi, especially after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan linked ₹2,152 crore in Samagra Shiksha funds to Tamil Nadu’s adoption of the policy in February 2025. This move, coupled with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks at the India Today Conclave on March 6, 2025, praising Hindi’s role in “national unity,” has stoked fears of cultural erosion. The looming delimitation of Lok Sabha seats based on the 2026 Census—potentially reducing southern states’ parliamentary representation due to their slower population growth—has further fueled the narrative of a “northern bias,” amplifying the language row.

Tamil Nadu: A Fierce Rejection of Hindi

Tamil Nadu has emerged as the epicenter of resistance, with Chief Minister M.K. Stalin leading a vocal campaign against what he calls “Hindi hegemony.” On March 4, 2025, Stalin intensified his attack, posting on X, “Truth is, we never demanded that North Indians must learn Tamil to ‘preserve’ it. All we ask is to stop Hindi imposition on us. Leave Tamil Nadu alone!” His government has rejected the NEP outright, refusing to budge from its two-language policy of Tamil and English, a stance rooted in the state’s historic anti-Hindi agitations of the 1960s. A February 18 protest in Chennai, led by Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin and DMK allies, saw thousands decry the Centre’s “blackmail” over education funds. Stalin argues that the three-language formula, despite its flexibility, inevitably tilts toward Hindi in practice, sidelining Tamil’s rich heritage. “Hindi has swallowed over 25 northern languages. We won’t let it kill Tamil,” he declared last week.

Karnataka: Balancing Kannada Pride with Pragmatism

Karnataka’s response has been assertive yet nuanced. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, a long-time champion of Kannada, has criticized the Centre’s “ambiguous” stance on language and delimitation. On March 3, 2025, he told reporters, “If seats are reallocated based on population, we lose out despite controlling ours. Clarity is needed, not Hindi imposition.” The state has faced pro-Kannada backlash in recent years—such as the 2021 uproar over Hindi-only banners during Amit Shah’s visit—but has not rejected the NEP entirely. Instead, Karnataka has adapted the three-language policy to prioritize Kannada, English, and a third language of choice, often sidelining Hindi. Posts on X reflect this sentiment, with one user noting on March 7, “Karnataka doesn’t hate Hindi; we just love Kannada more.” The state’s IT-driven economy also underscores its reliance on English, tempering any push for Hindi dominance.

Telangana: A Defiant Push for Telugu

Telangana has taken a bold stand, with Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy emerging as a fierce critic of Hindi imposition. Speaking at the India Today Conclave on March 8, 2025, Reddy quipped, “I learned Hindi to take on Modiji,” before adding, “Hindi isn’t our national language. Telugu is India’s second-most spoken tongue—where’s its due?” Last month, his government mandated Telugu as a compulsory subject in all state and central schools, a move seen as a direct counter to the NEP’s perceived bias. Reddy has aligned with Stalin on delimitation concerns, arguing on March 5 that southern states are “punished” for progress. Telangana’s linguistic diversity—Telugu alongside Urdu—has historically tempered anti-Hindi protests compared to Tamil Nadu, but the current standoff has galvanized support for regional identity. “Hindi can’t override our Cyberabad spirit,” a Hyderabad-based academic posted on X this week.

Andhra Pradesh: A Surprisingly Muted Response

In contrast, Andhra Pradesh has been conspicuously silent, drawing scrutiny from its neighbors. At the same conclave, IT Minister Nara Lokesh dismissed fears of Hindi imposition on March 8, stating, “India’s diversity prevents it. We’re pushing Telugu as the medium of instruction.” Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has floated an ambitious “10-language formula” for schools, including global languages like German and Japanese, signaling a multilingual approach over resistance. Critics, however, see this as acquiescence to the Centre, given the TDP’s alliance with the BJP in the NDA. “Andhra’s silence is complicity,” warned a March 4 editorial in Sakshi Post, questioning Naidu’s commitment to Telugu heritage. Unlike its neighbors, Andhra has not protested the NEP, aligning instead with Union policies—a stance that has puzzled observers given its shared Dravidian linguistic roots.

What’s Driving the Divide?

The resistance is rooted in more than language—it’s a clash of identity, power, and economics. Southern states, contributing disproportionately to India’s GDP (e.g., Karnataka’s 11.9% direct tax share in 2023-24), resent what they see as a northern tilt in policy. The Hindi push, often framed as “unification” by BJP leaders like Amit Shah—who in 2022 proposed Hindi as a medium in northeastern schools—clashes with the South’s pride in its classical languages: Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam. Historical grievances, like Tamil Nadu’s 1965 riots over Hindi’s official status, amplify today’s defiance. Meanwhile, the Centre insists the NEP promotes all Indian languages, not just Hindi, with BJP Tamil Nadu chief K. Annamalai arguing on March 5 that the DMK “misconstrues it for politics.”

The Road Ahead

As of March 9, 2025, the language issue remains a flashpoint. Tamil Nadu’s all-party meeting on delimitation and NEP, called by Stalin for March 10, aims to rally southern unity. Karnataka and Telangana may join, but Andhra’s stance remains uncertain. On X, sentiments range from “#StopHindiImposition” trending in Chennai to “Language is curriculum, not coercion” in Bengaluru. With Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal set to meet state leaders later this month, the Centre faces a delicate balancing act: preserving India’s linguistic mosaic while avoiding a full-blown federal crisis. For now, South India’s message is clear—its languages are not just tools but the bedrock of its soul.