Summary
- DMK MP Kanimozhi, leading India’s post-Operation Sindoor outreach in Spain, declared “unity in diversity” as India’s national language.
- Her remarks followed tense Centre–Tamil Nadu exchanges over the NEP 2020’s three-language formula.
- Kanimozhi also reaffirmed India’s resolve against terrorism, saying Kashmir will remain secure despite external threats.
Reframing the Narrative: Language, Identity, and India’s Global Diplomacy
India’s soft diplomacy took a striking cultural turn in Madrid when DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, leading a five-nation parliamentary delegation, responded to a seemingly simple question with a deeply layered answer: “The national language of India is unity in diversity.” Her words were not merely rhetorical—they were a direct counterpoint to ongoing domestic tensions surrounding language imposition and an assertion of India’s pluralistic ethos on the world stage.
This comes amid heated debates in India over the National EducSTEM Education: The Modern Age Learning In Indian Education Systemation Policy (NEP) 2020 and its three-language formula, which has been vocally opposed by Tamil Nadu. Kanimozhi’s assertion, made to a member of the Indian diaspora in Spain, resonated not just as a diplomatic soundbite, but as a reaffirmation of the foundational values enshrined in the Indian constitution—diversity, multilingualism, and federal accommodation.
Her remarks were also calibrated to project stability and resilience in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, India’s coordinated response to cross-border terrorism. While the delegation includes MPs from across party lines, Kanimozhi’s voice—representing a state often at odds with central language policy—brought a unique weight to India’s pluralistic messaging abroad.
Brilliant answer by India’s All-Party Parliamentary Delegation leader @KanimozhiDMK in Spain. She was asked about India’s National Language.
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) June 2, 2025
“You wanted to know about National Language. I think the National Language of India is Unity and Diversity.”
Massive applause. pic.twitter.com/W2EeZ03m3U
Language as Resistance: Tamil Nadu’s Persistent Stand
- The DMK continues to resist Hindi imposition and defends Tamil linguistic rights.
- NEP 2020’s language policy remains a flashpoint between Centre and southern states.
- Kanimozhi’s statement was widely viewed as a veiled critique of majoritarian language agendas.
Tamil Nadu’s ruling party, the DMK, has a long and storied history of opposing the imposition of Hindi or any centralised linguistic uniformity. The three-language formula—encouraging states to adopt Hindi, English, and a regional language—has been met with fierce resistance in the state. The memory of anti-Hindi agitations runs deep, and Kanimozhi’s answer in Madrid echoed that defiance through softer diplomatic language.
By asserting that “unity in diversity” is India’s national language, she offered an inclusive definition that sidesteps hierarchy and embraces multiplicity. It’s a message likely aimed as much at domestic audiences as it is at international observers. For southern states where linguistic identity is entwined with cultural self-respect, this statement becomes a form of resistance wrapped in a diplomatic garb.
This articulation also provides an alternative vision of Indian nationalism—one not contingent on a singular language or culture, but one that embraces its cacophony as its strength. It is especially powerful when presented on international soil, where such ideological divisions are not well-known but have profound implications on India’s internal cohesion.
Fractures and Unity: Kashmir, Terrorism, and the Delegation’s Broader Message
- Kanimozhi framed terrorism and war as distractions from India’s development.
- She emphasized the government’s commitment to Kashmir’s security post-Operation Sindoor.
- The delegation reaffirmed India’s status as a safe and unified democracy in the face of external threats.
While the language debate carried implicit political undertones, Kanimozhi also addressed a more explicit national security concern: terrorism. Referring to the recurring disruptions caused by conflict and war, she stated, “So much has to be done in our country… we have to deal with terrorism, war which is absolutely unnecessary.”
The statement came as part of the final leg of India’s all-party outreach in Europe, following Operation Sindoor’s domestic and global reverberations. Her assertion that “India is safe” and that “Kashmir will remain a safe place” may have been aimed at reassuring not just Indian diaspora communities, but also foreign governments watching the region’s rising instability.
Notably, this diplomatic trip includes voices across India’s political spectrum—from the BJP to the RJD and AAP. While that unity may be performative to some, it still communicates a coherent message: India’s polity, despite internal differences, stands united on the global front when it comes to issues of national integrity and international perception.
Beyond Language: What This Moment Signals
Kanimozhi’s declaration in Madrid crystallizes a moment where India’s internal contradictions are being aired—deliberately—on the global stage. Her redefinition of the “national language” as “unity in diversity” is as much a diplomatic maneuver as it is a cultural assertion. It situates India not as a monolith but as a federation of identities that can project cohesion without sacrificing plurality.
The intersection of language politics, national security, and soft power diplomacy in her remarks reveals the strategic layers of India’s international outreach. As the post-Sindoor world order shifts, India appears to be telling the world—and itself—that its greatest strength lies not in uniformity, but in its ability to endure difference.
