Chennai: Tamilnadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami today said that the three language policy mentioned in the Centre’s New Education Policy will not be implemented in the State.
In a statement released here after a meeting this morning with Ministers and senior officials, he said the Central government should understand the sentiments of the Tamil people and should reconsider the implementation of the NEP.
He said that the two language policy will continue to be implemented in Tamilnadu.Ā “This government will oppose and take necessary steps against anything that is against the welfare of Tamil and the people of Tamilnadu,” he said.
He also listed the consistent stands by former Chief Ministers Annadurai, M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa against imposition of Hindi and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reconsider the three language policy.
“Three-language formula in NEP is painful and saddening. I appeal to Prime Minister to reconsider. Let the States implement as per the policy,” he said in the statement.
He also referred to the anti-Hindi agitation by Tamilnadu students in 1965 when attempts were made by the Congress government to make Hindi the official language.Ā Though the three-language policy leaves it to States to decide on what that language would be, political parties in Tamilnadu look at this as a tacit attempt by the Centre to impose Hindi.
In a letter to Palaniswami, opposition leaders including DMK president M K Stalin urged him to oppose the Centre’s New Education Policy.
Stalin said in a statement that the Centreās New Education Policy was an attempt to impose Hindi and Sanskrit languages on the entire country.
Under the New Education Policy released earlier this week, the Centre has proposed that education upto Class 5, and preferably until Class 8, will be imparted in the mother tongues of students. Classical languages like Sanskrit have also been proposed at all levels, while foreign languages will be offered at the secondary level.