Deputy Chief Minister Udayanidhi Stalin threatened to launch a "massive statewide movement" if the Centre fails to release education funds.
Published Feb 18, 2025 | 7:39 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 18, 2025 | 10:33 PM
Synopsis: Thousands of protesters, led by Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK and its alliance parties, gathered in Chennai to oppose the Centre’s National Education Policy (NEP). The protest was sparked by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s statement that Tamil Nadu would not receive Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan funding unless it implemented the NEP, which the DMK condemned as coercion.
Thousands of protesters led by Tamil Nadu’s ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its alliance parties gathered near the customs office in Chennai on Tuesday, 18 February, to oppose the Centre’s contentious National Education Policy (NEP).
The demonstration comes in the heels of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan stating that the state would not receive Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan funding unless it implements the NEP.
The protest was announced on Monday by the DMK, which accused the Modi government of “betrayal” of Tamil Nadu by “denying funds” and insisting on the NEP. The party called today’s demonstration “only an initial step” in their opposition.
“Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has threatened that education funds will be granted only if the three-language policy is accepted. Are we asking for money from their ancestral property? If we have to demand what is rightfully ours, we will.
“This is not a subservient government like the previous ones in Tamil Nadu. We will not sign away our rights. This is Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin’s administration,” Deputy Chief Minister Udayanidhi Stalin told protesters, warning of “another language war” if the education funds owed to the state aren’t released by the Centre.
A protest is being held in #Chennai, led by the @arivalayam and its alliance parties, against the central government’s three-language policy row. The protest is being held in response to a statement made by Union Education Minister @dpradhanbjp, who said that #TamilNadu will not… pic.twitter.com/BJdXHtXePY
— South First (@TheSouthfirst) February 18, 2025
Senior DMK leaders, including School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, Medical and Family Welfare Minister Ma Subramanian, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister PK Sekar Babu, and DMK Lok Sabha committee leader TR Baalu, joined the protest.
Alliance party leaders — MDMK General Secretary Vaiko, CPI State Secretary R Mutharasan, CPM State Secretary K Shanmugam, and Tamilaga Vaazvurimai’s Velmurugan — were also present, with protesters holding placards and banners condemning the Union government’s policy.
Udayanidhi Stalin also criticised the recent Union Budget for allegedly excluding Tamil Nadu entirely.
He threatened to launch a “massive statewide movement” if the Centre fails to release funds, accusing the BJP government of diverting ₹2,152 crore meant for Tamil Nadu to Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.
“The state’s name was not even mentioned. The disaster relief funds requested in December were denied,” he said, appealing to the opposition AIADMK to “stand with us for Tamil Nadu’s welfare instead of using this for political gains.”
“Give us the funds that are legally due to us. If not, we know how to claim what is rightfully ours.
“Our democratic voice must reach the fascist BJP government. Otherwise, another language war will erupt here,” he added.
Communist Party (Marxist) State Secretary Shanmugam warned that protests would spread across Tamil Nadu if the Centre fails to release education funds. “This demonstration expresses the feelings and voices of Tamil Nadu’s people. We strongly oppose any attempt to impose Hindi on our people,” he said.
In a press release on Monday, Chief Minister MK Stalin alleged that Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has shown partiality in fund allocation and consistently ignored state projects, while claiming that Union Education Minister Pradhan was “intimidating” the state by linking NEP acceptance to the release of education funds.
Referencing historical language protests, the Deputy Chief Minister reminded the gathering that “In 1938, two people sacrificed their lives for Tamil. In 1965, hundreds of youths laid down their lives. Now, in 2025, Hindi is being imposed again. Thousands are ready to resist.”
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
