Chennai: Chief Minister Edappadi Palanisamy said Amma's government will never allow trilingual policy in Tamil Nadu.
Chennai: Chief Minister Edappadi Palanisamy said Amma's government will never allow trilingual policy in Tamil Nadu.
The TN Chief Minister expressed his government’s disappointment over the three-language policy introduced by the Central government in the NEP 2020. Stating that his state has been already following a two-language policy since decades, the chief minister asserted that there won’t be any changes in it. He added that the AIADMK government will never allow a trilingual policy. The CM also recalled that former Chief Ministers MGR and Jayalalithaa too were firm on opposing Hindi on non-Hindi speaking States and in thwarting such efforts.
A statement released by TN CM read, "Tamils have been committed to the bilingual policy for the last 80 years. Whenever threatened, they have expressed their feelings through various struggles. Section 3 of the Official Languages Act, 1963 clearly states that in the case of states which do not adopt Hindi as their official language, the exchange of information between the State and Central Governments would be in English. Nevertheless, in 1965, the then Congress government took steps to make Hindi the official language. The students and the people protested this through various struggles.
As reservations people had about the trilingual policy were not allayed, Peraringnar Anna passed a resolution in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on 23.1.1968 stating, "This Council has decided to abolish the trilingual program in all schools in Tamil Nadu and make room for both Tamil and English. Hindi will be abolished altogether." Following that, Hindi language in Tamil Nadu was completely removed from the syllabus. Dr MGR was firm on this policy and when he was the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu a resolution was passed in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly emphasizing the bilingual policy, on 13.11.1986."
“If there is any harm to the Tamil language or Tamils, the government will take immediate action to eradicate it,” added CM Palaniswami.
The chief minister also requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to pay heed to the unanimous demand of the people of Tamil Nadu to reconsider the three-language policy and allow states to make a decision as per their own policy.
Readers may recall that teaching up to class 5 in mother tongue or regional language and lowering the stakes of board exams are part of the sweeping reforms in the new NEP unveiled last week. “Wherever possible, the medium of instruction until at least Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond, will be the home language, mother tongue, local language or the regional language. Thereafter, the home or local language shall continue to be taught as a language wherever possible. This will be followed by both public and private schools,” said the policy.
The TN Chief Minister expressed his government’s disappointment over the three-language policy introduced by the Central government in the NEP 2020. Stating that his state has been already following a two-language policy since decades, the chief minister asserted that there won’t be any changes in it. He added that the AIADMK government will never allow a trilingual policy. The CM also recalled that former Chief Ministers MGR and Jayalalithaa too were firm on opposing Hindi on non-Hindi speaking States and in thwarting such efforts.
A statement released by TN CM read, "Tamils have been committed to the bilingual policy for the last 80 years. Whenever threatened, they have expressed their feelings through various struggles. Section 3 of the Official Languages Act, 1963 clearly states that in the case of states which do not adopt Hindi as their official language, the exchange of information between the State and Central Governments would be in English. Nevertheless, in 1965, the then Congress government took steps to make Hindi the official language. The students and the people protested this through various struggles.
As reservations people had about the trilingual policy were not allayed, Peraringnar Anna passed a resolution in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on 23.1.1968 stating, "This Council has decided to abolish the trilingual program in all schools in Tamil Nadu and make room for both Tamil and English. Hindi will be abolished altogether." Following that, Hindi language in Tamil Nadu was completely removed from the syllabus. Dr MGR was firm on this policy and when he was the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu a resolution was passed in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly emphasizing the bilingual policy, on 13.11.1986."
“If there is any harm to the Tamil language or Tamils, the government will take immediate action to eradicate it,” added CM Palaniswami.
The chief minister also requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to pay heed to the unanimous demand of the people of Tamil Nadu to reconsider the three-language policy and allow states to make a decision as per their own policy.
Readers may recall that teaching up to class 5 in mother tongue or regional language and lowering the stakes of board exams are part of the sweeping reforms in the new NEP unveiled last week. “Wherever possible, the medium of instruction until at least Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond, will be the home language, mother tongue, local language or the regional language. Thereafter, the home or local language shall continue to be taught as a language wherever possible. This will be followed by both public and private schools,” said the policy.