Politics, Language, and the Tamil Identity: A Heated Debate Amid Elections

Actor-turned-politician Ranjana Nachiyaar quits BJP over the three-language policy, while AIADMK MP Thambidurai accuses the DMK of exploiting the language issue for electoral gain. DMK protests trilingual system, defending Tamil culture against perceived central imposition of Hindi through the National Education Policy.

On Tuesday, Ranjana Nachiyaar, an actor-turned-politician, announced her resignation from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), citing dissatisfaction with the imposition of a three-language policy. Meanwhile, AIADMK's Member of Parliament M Thambidurai accused the ruling DMK government of politicizing the language issue as elections draw nearer.

Thambidurai criticized the state’s stance on the New Education Policy (NEP), accusing the DMK of permitting multiple-language CBSE schools but opposing the Hindi inclusion in the state. He suggested that the state government should take a firm stand on language uniformity or withdraw permissions for CBSE schools altogether.

Amidst these tensions, DMK cadres held a protest in Tiruchirappalli against the Trilingual Language System, distributing pamphlets to inform the public. The DMK has consistently advocated for the preservation of Tamil language and cultural identity, raising concerns about the NEP as an attempt to enforce religious ideas through education.