[lg policy] Tamilnadu parties stoutly oppose Centre’s three-language policy

[Harold Schiffman]

Tamilnadu parties stoutly oppose Centre’s three-language policy
Posted on June 1, 2019
<https://newstodaynet.com/index.php/2019/06/01/tamilnadu-parties-stoutly-oppose-centres-three-language-policy/>
 by NT Bureau <https://newstodaynet.com/index.php/author/ntbureau/>

Chennai: Amid stiff protests from the Opposition parties to the Central
government’s proposed triple-language system in schools across India,
Tamilnadu Minister for School Education, K A Sengottaiyan, today clarified
that dual-language method of education will continue in the State.

“Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami has written to the Centre stating that
Tamilnadu will continue to have two-language mode in the State,”
Sengottaiyan said.

Senior Minister Sellur Raju pins his hopes on the Chief Minister. “CM
Edappadi Palanisami will look after the new draft of trilingual system of
education put forth by the National Education Policy committee,” he stated.

The proposed policy has received strong opposition from several politicians
in the State.

“The DMK will oppose in Parliament if any language, not just Hindi, is
thrust upon us,” said DMK MP Kanimozhi to reporters at Chennai airport this
morning.

She further stated that the party would not allow any policy that is
against a specific language.

AMMK founder, T T V Dhinakaran, took to Twitter to condemn the move. His
tweet, roughly translated, reads, ‘The order by Central government to
include Hindi as a mandatory subject till class eight is condemnable.’

DMK MP Tiruchi Siva said, “Forcing Hindi in Tamilnadu is like setting a
warehouse on fire.” He added that the party would do what it takes to
oppose the move.

MNM founder, Kamal Haasan, stated that learning the language cannot be made
compulsory.

“I have acted in Hindi films; my opinion is that nothing should be enforced
and people should decide what they can learn,” he said.

*WHAT IS IT?*

The National Education Policy 2019, drafted by an expert committee, states
that the non-Hindi speaking States in India would include the regional
language, English and Hindi, while the parts where Hindi is spoken would
have English and one of the modern Indian language in addition to Hindi.

‘Students will be required to attain proficiency in discussing their major
in at least one Indian language through an appropriate written project or
presentation in that language,’ the policy says.

As part of it, several new policy initiatives for promoting
internationalisation of higher education, strengthening quality open and
distance learning, technology integration at all levels of education, adult
and lifelong learning and initiatives to enhance participation of
under-represented groups, and eliminate gender, social category and
regional gaps in education outcomes are recommended.

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 Harold F. Schiffman

Professor Emeritus of
 Dravidian Linguistics and Culture
Dept. of South Asia Studies
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305

Phone:  (215) 898-7475
Fax:  (215) 573-2138

Email:  haroldfs at gmail.com
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/

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