India, Feb. 17 -- The schism emerging between the Tamil Nadu government and the Union government over the National Education Policy (NEP) and the three-language formula is a classic case of leaders talking at each other rather than to each other. Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan's remark that Tamil Nadu will be denied Samagra Shiksha funds if it doesn't implement the NEP and the three-language formula - the state has a two-language formula for its schools - sounds much too overbearing. The backlash from Tamil leaders was prompt: CM MK Stalin called it "brash blackmail" and leaders from most parties in the state made the three-language formula needlessly about "Hindi imposition".

Both, the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government should reas...