Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin has accused the Modi-led government of treating southern states as subjugated territories, citing issues of language imposition and financial inequity. Stalin’s statement came in response to a Special Calling Attention Motion in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, where he emphasized his administration’s commitment to the two-language policy of Tamil and English.

Stalin expressed concerns that the introduction of a third language, specifically Hindi, would endanger the Tamil language and threaten the cultural identity of the region. “We hold on to the two-language policy dearly because history has taught us that if we permit another language, it will chew and swallow our own,” he stated, labeling the imposition of Hindi as an act of cultural obliteration.

The Chief Minister underscored his government’s firm stance against the trilingual policy, declaring that it would not be accepted under any circumstances. He further accused the Modi-led BJP government of using language imposition and financial deprivation as tools to dominate southern states.

“They consider the states to be areas of indentured labour,” Stalin remarked, emphasizing that the issue extends beyond funding to encompass ethnicity, language, and identity. He portrayed the situation as a challenge to the Dravidian model of governance, asserting that any hurdles would be overcome in defense of regional pride and autonomy.

The remarks, sourced from Kashmir Media Service, highlight ongoing tensions between the central government and southern states over cultural and financial policies.