Tamil Nadu CM rejects three-language policy

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday rejected the three language policy as mentioned in the National Education Policy (NEP).

The CM said that schools in the state will continue to follow the two-language policy instead.
The new NEP, which Palaniswami described as disappointing, was unveiled, late July and is yet to be implemented.

Tamil Nadu CM pointed out that the previous state governments opposed the three-language formula and the imposition of Hindi. In 1965, when the Center attempted to make Hindi, India’s official language, protests had erupted in TN, Palaniswami said.

He said that the Prime Minister should reconsider the three-language policy and allow states to implement their own policy on the subject.

The CM had also written to the Prime Minister in June 2019 saying that Tamil will be following only two language policies in the state.

Palaniswami’s statement came a day after Union Minister for Education Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said the Center would not force any language on states to dispel fears that the Center is forcing it on the states.

In a tweet to former Union minister from the state Pon Radhakrishnan, Nishank said he was looking forward to the guidance of the ex-central minister in implementing NEP in Tamil Nadu “I once again like to insist that the central government will not impose any language on any state,” he said.