Chennai: Amid the raging row over the Centre’s insistence to accept the NEP-2020
to implement the three-language formula and almost all political parties in Tamil Nadu stoutly opposing it and wanted to stick to its existing 2-language policy, the State Unit of the BJP launched a 90-day signature campaign to elicit the public views supporting the 3L policy.
The campaign, aimed at getting one crore signature by reaching every households across the State, was launched by BJP State Unit President K. Annamalai and it was christened ‘Samakalvi Yengal Urimai’ (equal education is our right).
Senior BJP leader and former Telangana and Puducherry Lt Governor Ms Tamilisai Soundararajan launched it physically, while Union Minister L Murugan rolled out a website as part of digital campaign.
The door-to-door signature campaign being undertaken was to spread the message of the benefits of the three-language policy for all students in the State as recommended in the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020, which envisaged the implementation of the 3L formula in the State.
Talking to reporters after launching the state-wide campaign yesterday, Mr Annamalai said the BJP,which had boycotted yesterday’s All Party meeting convened by the State Government against the proposed delimitation exercise based on population, would hold a series of public meetings across the state in creating awareness on the benefits of having the three-language policy.
Stating that the party would get one crore signatures from the public and the parents of the students by the end of May, he said it would be handed over to President Droupadi Murmu.
Asserting that Hindi will not be imposed in Tamil Nadu as part of three language policy under the NEP-2020, Mr Annamalai had stoutly denied the ruling DMK, Opposition AIADMK and other parties charges that the Centre was attempting to impose the three-language policy by coercing the State to accept the NEP.
Hindi will not be imposed in the State and the NEP did not envisage it. The three language policy only allows the students to choose the third language of their choice and it does not mean Hindi.
The Centre is never trying to impose Hindi in the State as being claimed by the political party leaders, he clarified.
On the political parties contention that there is no change in their stand on sticking to the present
two-language formula, Mr Annamalai claimed that it has become outdated and failed as more number of students are studying in private schools than in government schools in the State.
He also asked “if the State government is not ready to accept the three language policy, why it is allowing functioning of CBSE schools in the State.”
It may be recalled that Chief Minister and ruling DMK President M K Stalin, had been stoutly opposing the three-language policy saying it was an attempt to impose Hindi in the state by the BJP-led Government at the centre.
He said the ongoing protests over Centre’s attempts coercing Tamil Nadu to accept the NEP-2020 paving way for implementing the three-language policy in a bid to impose Hindi, has reached the Global Tamil diaspora.
Mr Stalin shared the hashtag “#@Vaazhga Tamil” (Long Live Tamil) along with a new report and a video of a protest organised by the Tamil diaspora in the USA, supporting the agitations in the State.
It may be recalled that the alleged attempt by the Centre to impose Hindi in Tamil Nadu created a major political storm especially after Mr Dharmendra Pradhan had openly declared that Tamil Nadu will not get its due share of Rs 2,152 crore funds for the education sector under the SSA scheme, unless it accepts the NEP-2020 paving the way for implementing the 3-language formula in the State.
In rare display of unity, all the political parties, including the ruling DMK, its allies, the main Opposition AIADMK and its allies and the PMK, spoke in one voice flaying the centre and strongly condemning it for trying to impose Hindi and pledged to continue with the long followed and the existing 2-language formula in the State and that the 3-language policy will never be allowed.
The political parties also staged various forms of agitations condemning the Centre’s move, including the DMK Women’s Wing resorting to a novel protest drawing colourful Kolams (Rangoli) with slogans slamming the Centre for attempting to impose Hindi and 3-language policy in Tamil Nadu.
A massive protest demonstration was also organised by the DMK in Chennai in which all leaders of its alliance partners took part and shouted slogans denouncing the Centre on the issue.
Various wings of the DMK, including the Students, Youth and Advocates Wing, too staged protest demonstrations, and the party cadres also blackend hindi words in name boards in Railway stations and other places in various parts of the State as part of the continuing protests which was justified by Mr Stalin.
Mr Stalin had declared that as long as he was the Chief Minister the 3-language policy will not be allowed in Tamil Nadu and that the State was prepared for another language war which the Centre was trying to impose.
He also asserted that “whether it is Rs 2,000 crore of Rs 10,000 crore, we will not sign the NEP”.
“Even if we are offered Rs.10,000 crore, the government will not introduce NEP as long as I am the Chief Minister,” he had said.
However, the BJP Tamil Nadu Unit contended that there were no provisions in NEP that referred to imposition of Hindi and batted for three-language policy, saying it does not mean Hindi. Students can learn any language of their choice, the same views which were also expressed by the Union Education Minister.
