The escalating tussle between Tamil Nadu and the Union government over the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is not just a dispute over language policy ~ it is a deeper battle over state autonomy, cultural identity, and federal governance.

Tamil Nadu, historically resistant to Hindi imposition, views the NEP as a direct challenge to its well-established two-language policy. The Centre’s decision to withhold crucial educational funds unless the state aligns with the NEP has only intensified this conflict, turning an educational framework into a political flashpoint. Tamil Nadu has long championed its two-language policy ~ Tamil and English ~ as a reflection of its linguistic heritage and a tool for maintaining cultural distinctiveness. The three-language formula proposed under NEP, while ostensibly flexible, is perceived in the state as a veiled attempt to introduce Hindi through the backdoor. This resistance is deeply rooted in decades of opposition to linguistic homogenisation, dating back to the anti-Hindi agitation movements of the 20th century. The........

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