Govt. to follow three-language policy in Puducherry, says Home Minister Namassivayam

Amid a walkout by the principal Opposition DMK and its ally Congress in the Puducherry Assembly over an alleged move by the Central government to ‘impose’ Hindi, the Union Territory’s Home Minister A. Namassivayam informed the House on Thursday (March 13, 2025) that the AINRC-BJP government had decided to follow the three-language policy in the UT.

Amid a walkout by the principal Opposition DMK and its ally Congress in the Puducherry Assembly over an alleged move by the Central government to ‘impose’ Hindi, the Union Territory’s Home Minister A. Namassivayam informed the House on Thursday (March 13, 2025) that the AINRC-BJP government had decided to follow the three-language policy in the UT.

“We will follow the three-language policy. Students interested in learning a third language can choose one. It is not compulsory that students should learn Hindi; they can learn any of the regional languages. It was the government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that gave thrust on learning mother tongue,” he said. 

He also accused the DMK and Congress of “playing politics” over language to deflect attention. “It was the Congress at the Centre that tried to impose Hindi, and the anti-Hindi agitation happened in Tamil Nadu when the Congress was ruling at the Centre. The Congress legislator should ask his party high command about the anti-Hindi agitation in Tamil Nadu and whether his party was ruling at the Centre at that time,” he said. 

The reference to alleged Hindi imposition by the Centre was made by Congress legislator M. Vaithianathan when he was participating in a discussion on the Lieutenant Governor’s address on the opening of the Budget session.

Referring to Cyclone Fengal, the Congress legislator said both Puducherry and Tamil Nadu suffered destruction, and though the government in Puducherry is supported by the BJP, the Prime Minister did not speak to Chief Minister N. Rangasamy after the cyclone. As for Tamil Nadu, though it is an Opposition-ruled State, the Prime Minister enquired about the cyclone with the State’s Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.

To this, Mr. Namassivayam said the Centre knows very well that all administrative matters will be taken care of in Puducherry. “The Centre is doing whatever possible to assist Puducherry. The Centre gave more than ₹80 crore to the UT as rain assistance,” he said.

As the Minister was speaking, the Congress legislator waded into the two-language debate, stating that the Centre was trying to impose Hindi over Tamil. The DMK legislators too joined the debate, pinning the blame on the Centre for the ongoing controversy over the Hindi language. The DMK legislators urged the Puducherry government to make their stand clear on the language policy.