EZReview - Aftermath unexpected in India

 Between languages

But not just about Languages

EZReview - July 13th, 2025

In India, the land of thousands of tongues, few things inflame passions more than language. Touching the barrier of language education often comes with political peril.

The National Education Policy (NEP), introduced in 1968, aims to promote and regulate education in India. It has been updated periodically, with the most recent update occurring last month. Introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government five years ago, it is being implemented in stages and has run into controversy.

While the aftermath may exceed the expectations of the Prime Minister's administration. In Tamil Nadu, a southern Indian state with a history of rioting over efforts to make Hindi mandatory, the chief minister has raged for months against an education policy pushed by the Modi government, claiming that it is trying to force students to learn the language. 

This began in April after the government made it compulsory for state-run primary schools to teach Hindi as a third language, apart from English and Marathi. This, it said, was in line with a federal policy which mandates that children be taught three languages in school.

In April, two women in Thane district were allegedly assaulted in their residential complex after they said "excuse me" to a man who insisted they speak to him in Marathi. In the same Month, a security guard in Mumbai was allegedly beaten up by workers from the opposition Maharashtra Navnirman Sena - A nativist party known for its aggressive brand of politics - after he said that he didn't know Marathi.