Strong Remarks from the Supreme Court Regarding Tamil Nadu’s Opposition to Hindi

The Tamil Nadu government’s request to revoke an interim decision on locating land for the construction of Navodaya Vidyalayas in each district of the state was denied by the Supreme Court. Tamil Nadu’s hostility to Hindi, which would be taught in the proposed Navodaya schools, is connected to this issue.

The state administration was instructed by the court to locate land within three months. The Supreme Court informed the Tamil Nadu administration that a shift in perspective was necessary. “Hindi cannot be kept out of the state’s soil,” it said.

In the spirit of cooperative federalism, the state and the Center should discuss the language issue. The establishment of Navodaya schools throughout the state, according to the Tamil Nadu administration, was an attempt to force Hindi over Tamil.

During the hearing of Tamil Nadu’s suit against the Madras High Court’s directive to establish Navodaya schools in every district, the Supreme Court made its observations. The highest court refused to revoke its temporary directive to locate land in each district for school construction. Navodaya schools are not against state policy, according to Justice BV Nagarathna. Tamil Nadu needs to discuss the linguistic issue with the Center, she said.

The Navodaya strategy, according to senior attorney Jaideep Gupta, who represented Tamil Nadu, goes against the state’s linguistic policy and could make Hindi more common than Tamil. Tamil Nadu cannot just reject a national government policy, as Justice Nagarathna noted.

During the hearing of Tamil Nadu’s suit against the Madras High Court’s directive to establish Navodaya schools in every district, the Supreme Court made its observations. The highest court refused to revoke its temporary directive to locate land in each district for school construction. Navodaya schools are not against state policy, according to Justice BV Nagarathna. Tamil Nadu needs to discuss the linguistic issue with the Center, she said.

The Navodaya strategy, according to senior attorney Jaideep Gupta, who represented Tamil Nadu, goes against the state’s linguistic policy and could make Hindi more common than Tamil. Tamil Nadu cannot just reject a national government policy, as Justice Nagarathna noted.

While the Supreme Court emphasised the necessity for communication and cooperative federalism, the state government contended that the policy was optional and that courts could not compel a state to execute a government policy.

December 14 is the date of the upcoming hearing. The only state without a single Navodaya school is Tamil Nadu. The fear that these schools were an attempt to enforce Hindi is the basis of its opposition.