Hyderabad: Jana Sena Party (JSP) chief and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has jumped into the language row raging between the Centre and Tamil Nadu government, denouncing the stand of Dravidian parties on Hindi.
On Friday, in a statement seen as supporting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Narendra Modi government’s position, Kalyan questioned why Tamil films were being dubbed into Hindi despite resistance to imposition of the language in Tamil Nadu. The JSP and BJP are partners in the Telugu Desam Party-led NDA government in Andhra Pradesh.
If Hindi is unwelcome then, “you shouldn’t dub Tamil movies into Hindi” and release them in north India, said the actor-turned-politician. “They abuse Sanskrit, charge Hindi imposition. These too are our nation’s languages, right?”
He added, “You want money from Hindi belt—from UP, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, but won’t accept their Hindi. How is it fair? You welcome migrant workers from Bihar but hate Hindi. Such thinking, attitude should change.”
Kalyan was addressing a rally at Pithapuram, his assembly constituency, as part of JSP’s 12th foundation day. “We need not hate (some) languages.”
Either imposing a language forcibly or opposing a language blindly; both doesn’t help to achieve the objective of National &Cultural integration of our Bharat.
I had never opposed Hindi as a language. I only opposed making it compulsory. When the NEP 2020 itself does not…
— Pawan Kalyan (@PawanKalyan) March 15, 2025
The deputy CM’s remarks come at a time when the M.K. Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government in Tamil Nadu has declared an all-out war against the Modi government over, what it says is, Hindi imposition through the“three-language formula” under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Forcing the language on the Tamils amounts to playing with their self-respect, Stalin said in a letter to party members in February. Over the past few weeks, DMK cadres have, at several places across Tamil Nadu, defaced the signages and central government properties that carry information in Hindi, such name boards at railway stations.
“We won’t oppose if you don’t impose; won’t blacken Hindi words in Tamil Nadu. Self-respect is Tamils’ unique characteristic and we will not allow anyone, whoever it is, to play with it,” Stalin said.
Also Read: United States of South India—Stalin’s push against delimitation goes beyond Tamil Nadu politics
DMK hits out at Kalyan
DMK spokesperson Dr Syed Hafeezullah said Kalyan’s statement shows his hollow understanding of the whole issue. “Kalyan should understand that Tamil Nadu people are free to learn any language of their choice,” said Hafeezullah, speaking to a news channel.
On Saturday, DMK MP K. Kanimozhi took a swipe at Kalyan, writing on X, “Technology allows us to watch movies beyond language barriers.”
Indicating his stance on the issue had shifted, she included two separate statements from Kalyan, including one from April 2017 when he shared an article titled ‘Hindi Go Back’ and called on the political leadership in northern India to respect the country’s cultural diversity.
Technology allows us to watch movies beyond language barriers. https://t.co/mT03mJARqM pic.twitter.com/w3qRgcSsCY
— Kanimozhi (கனிமொழி) (@KanimozhiDMK) March 15, 2025
Responding to this Kalyan said on X that he never opposed Hindi as a language. “I only opposed making it compulsory. When the NEP 2020 itself does not enforce Hindi, spreading false narratives about its imposition is nothing but an attempt to mislead the public.”
“The multi-language policy is designed to empower students with choice, promote national unity, and preserve India’s rich linguistic diversity. Misinterpreting this policy for political agendas and claiming that Pawan Kalyan changed his stance only reflects a lack of understanding,” he added.
Either imposing a language forcibly or opposing a language blindly; both doesn’t help to achieve the objective of National &Cultural integration of our Bharat.
I had never opposed Hindi as a language. I only opposed making it compulsory. When the NEP 2020 itself does not…
— Pawan Kalyan (@PawanKalyan) March 15, 2025
Actor Prakash Raj, who has been critical of Kalyan in the past, said that “opposition to Hindi imposition is self-respect and not hate towards the language”.
“Someone should tell this to Kalyan,” Prakash Raj said on X.
This was not the first time Kalyan took on the DMK leadership. In October, when he declared himself as an unapologetic Hindu defending Sanatana Dharma, Kalyan said “those who want to wipe out Sanatana Dharma will themselves be wiped out”.
It was a reaction to an earlier remarks by Udhayanidhi Stalin, the DMK scion and current Deputy CM of Tamil Nadu, on Sanatana Dharma.
“I can sacrifice my life, my everything to save, preserve our dharma,” Kalyan said, adding that this was a warning for “pseudo-secularists/intellectuals”.
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)
Also Read: Why DMK-led Tamil Nadu govt is at war with the Centre over NEP
