The two-language policy is the proclaimed policy of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and there was no question of compromising on that stand, Tamil Nadu minister for school education A Rajmohan said on Tuesday, continuing with the previous Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government’s opposition to the three-language formula under the National Education Policy (NEP).
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Briefing reporters after a review meeting of his department at the state secretariat, the minister said, “This two language policy is our party’s proclaimed policy. There is absolutely no alternative opinion to that. Singapore’s founding father Lee Kuan Yew, preferred English as a communication tool for global engagement whereas he did not use some of the other languages present there like Chinese or Mandarin. So, English remains a common standard.”
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He added, “We will not bow down to any hidden pressure …You can take it that there is no room here for any talk of compromising on policy.” The minister said that the two-language issue was discussed in the department’s meeting on Tuesday.
In April, former CM M K Stalin slammed the BJP-led Central government over the CBSE’s curriculum framework, alleging that the “so-called three-language formula” is in reality a “covert” mechanism to expand Hindi into non-Hindi speaking regions. The DMK president alleged the curriculum framework by the CBSE, aligned with the National Education Policy 2020, was “not an innocent academic reform.”
He said the “three-language formula” is effectively a “disguised effort to promote Hindi in non-Hindi speaking states.”
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This is the first policy continuity of the ruling TVK.
Last week, the government supported the previous DMK government’s pet project Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai scheme by depositing ₹1,000 into the bank accounts of 13.2 million women beneficiaries across the state.
On May 15, the Union ministry of education sent a reminder to states including West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala to implement the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme. Rajmohan alleged that the state did not receive its due funds from the Centre to serve the students over the last two years.
“That funds are not for serving the officials here. The funds will be used for the school going children. Blocking it for any reason cannot be accepted,” he said.
The government also said it has launched an initiative ‘Natpudan Ungalodu’ (With You in Friendship) to offer free counselling to students. “The results of the Class 10 public examinations are being released on May 20. In order to protect the mental health of the students, a counselling facility is being organised through the telephone under the Goverment’s Natpudan Ungalodu scheme,” an official statement added.
The DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai said, his party has always fought for the two language formula. “Our leader M K Stalin has made it clear when he was the CM by saying even if you give us ₹10,000 crore, we will not implement the three language policy,” Annadurai told HT.
Echoing similar sentiments, DMK’s another spokesperson TKS Elangovan said the Centre cannot change a system that has been followed in Tamil Nadu.
“They may bring it (three language formula) anywhere but not in Tamil Nadu. We have a system in the state which we are strictly following. There is no question of three language formula in Tamil Nadu”, he said.
The Tamil Nadu BJP vice president Narayanan Thirupathy said, “The TVK is saying (that it would not support three-language formula) because, they are still on the DMK stance. Because they are supported by the DMK allies. So, they are afraid that if they even talk about what actually is right or wrong, then their government will go. That is why they are afraid.”
In the event of ruling TVK accommodating the rebel faction of the AIADMK in the Cabinet, the CPI(M) will reconsider its stand of support to the Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay-led government, CPI (M) State Secretary P Shanmugam said on Tuesday. He said: “I think TVK will not do that. In the event of TVK taking a stand of accommodating the AIADMK rebel group in the Council of Ministers, the CPI(M) will then reconsider its stand of support to the TVK.”
