Hundreds of members from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its alliance partners gathered near the Chennai Collectorate on Tuesday, February 18, to protest against the Union government’s decision to withhold crucial funds for the state’s school education department.
Addressing the protesters, Tamil Nadu School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi criticised the Union government, echoing Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s claim that Tamil Nadu receives only 29 paise for every rupee it contributes. “Now, we are left with nothing,” he lamented.
The minister urged the Union government to release Rs. 2,152 crore, emphasising that the future of 43 lakh students was at stake. “Do not try to control us, and do not destroy our children's livelihood,” he warned.
The dispute between Tamil Nadu and the Union government intensified following comments by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan at the Kashi Tamil Sangamam in Varanasi on February 15. Pradhan accused the Tamil Nadu government of prioritising politics over students’ welfare and questioned its opposition to the National Education Policy (NEP), which promotes local languages as the primary medium of instruction. He also stated that Union funds under the Samagra Shiksha scheme would continue to be withheld until Tamil Nadu fully implemented the NEP.
Refuting these claims, Mahesh clarified that Tamil Nadu had not yet signed an MoU for establishing PM Shri schools. He cited a letter from the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary to the Union Education Ministry, stating that a state-level committee, headed by the School Education Secretary, had been constituted to review the matter. Based on the committee’s recommendations, Tamil Nadu would sign the MoU before the next academic year (2024-25).
The latest conflict stems from the NEP’s insistence on a three-language policy, which mandates learning Hindi alongside English and a regional language. Tamil Nadu, historically opposed to the imposition of Hindi, continues to adhere to a two-language formula.
Prominent DMK leaders such as T.R. Balu, Ma. Subramanian, and P.K. Sekar Babu, along with alliance leaders including K. Selvaperunthagai, Thol. Thirumavalavan, Vaiko, K. Mutharasan, P. Shanmugam, M.H. Jawahirullah, Eswaran, and Velmurugan, participated in the protest.