Rejecting the three-language formula proposed in the National Educational Policy (NEP) by the Centre, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami said on Monday that the AIADMK government would “not allow the three-language policy ever but would continue to implement the two-language policy” in the State.
In a statement, Mr. Palaniswami requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to accept the collective sentiments of the people of Tamil Nadu and reconsider the three-language formula so that States could implement it in line with their respective policies.
“The collective sentiments of the people in Tamil Nadu and political parties, including the AIADMK, are only for following the two-language policy. It is saddening and painful to know that the three-language formula is part of the National Educational Policy released by the Centre,”Mr. Palaniswami.
If the interests of Tamil language or that of Tamils is affected, this government would take steps at once,” the Chief Minister, also AIADMK co-coordinator said. Mr. Palaniswami also pointed out that his government had opposed the three-language policy when the draft NEP was released.
The people of Tamil Nadu have been strong in following the two-language policy over 80 years now and have expressed their sentiments over the issue through protests at different points in time.
Recalling the protests in this regard in 1965, Mr. Palaniswami also underlined the resolution passed in this regard in the then Madras Legislative Assembly on January 23, 1968 during Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai’s tenure to reject the three-language policy.
On November 13, 1986 when AIADMK founder M.G. Ramachandran was the Chief Minister, another resolution was passed in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly in support of the two-language policy in the State.
Late AIADMK leader and former CM Jayalalithaa too had maintained that Hindi should not be imposed on people in States not speaking Hindi and any such efforts would be defeated, Mr. Palaniswami recalled.
The AIADMK government had opposed the three-language proposal when the draft NEP was released, Mr. Palaniswami pointed out and said: “As for Tamil Nadu, we would follow the two-language policy only and it was communicated to the Prime Minister through a letter on June 26, 2019.”
Mr. Palaniswami recalled that the Tamil Nadu government had maintained the stand in favour of two-language policy both in his Independence Day speech, as well as during various debates in the State Legislative Assembly on multiple occasions.
