The political difficulties between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin of Tamil Nadu reflect continuous conflicts on federalism, linguistic policy, and government. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which suggests a three-language formula including Hindi, which Stalin opposes believing the language would be imposed in Tamil Nadu, is key to the debate. Stalin has also opposed the proposed delimitation exercise and the “One Nation, One Election” project, therefore diminishing the political representation of southern states. These conflicts mirror a more general discussion in India’s varied political environment on juggling national integration with regional autonomy.