"Creating Anti-Delhi Narrative": Education Minister Hits Back At MK Stalin

Hitting back at MK Stalin amid the row over the three-language formula in the National Education Policy, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has said that the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister is creating a "false narrative" of Hindi imposition, which is politically motivated. The minister insisted that Tamil Nadu had agreed to the implementation of the National Education Policy earlier, but made a U-turn on the issue for political reasons. 

Speaking exclusively to NDTV on Friday, Mr Pradhan said Mr Stalin and the DMK are depriving students of academic progress for their own political ends. 

Under the three-language formula which is part of the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, every school student has to study at least three languages. The Centre has said this clause is necessary as previous education policies neglected the systematic teaching of Indian languages leading to an "over-reliance" on foreign languages and it aims to restore languages like Tamil to their "rightful place in education".

Mr Stalin had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, complaining that Mr Pradhan had threatened to withhold funds for a centrally sponsored initiative, the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, unless Tamil Nadu implemented the NEP. 

Earlier on Friday, Mr Pradhan also wrote a letter to Mr Stalin and when he was asked about it, he said, "The three-language formula is a pattern of the country. Almost all states have been implementing it since the mid-1960s. I know the position of Tamil Nadu. I know there are some issues, they adopted a two-language formula. The NEP, envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, has given an emphasis on the three-language formula."

"When you talk about the three-language formula, unnecessarily a political line has been taken and they are talking about the imposition of Hindi in Tamil Nadu. Nowhere in the NEP have we suggested that there will be an imposition of any particular language in any particular state. I have also written to the honourable chief minister of Tamil Nadu about this," he explained. 

Mr Pradhan said it was okay that Tamil Nadu chose to teach in Tamil and English, but asked what would happen to students living in the border areas of the state who wanted to learn Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Marathi or Odia for employment purposes. 

"This is an era of globalisation, of connectivity. A lot of Tamil people are also migrating to different parts of the country. In the 60s, the situation was different. Unfortunately, the debate became an anti-Hindi debate. Today, PM Modi is very clear about one thing: All Indian languages are national languages. Tamil is an eternal language, the oldest language of civilisation - this has been stated by none less than PM Modi," he pointed out.

Fund Cut Claims

On Mr Stalin's claims that over Rs 2,000 crore had been withheld from Tamil Nadu for the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan - which seeks to integrate vocational education with general academic education - by linking it to the NEP, which the chief minister called "blackmail and coercion", Mr Pradhan said the use of such "derogatory words is condemnable in a democracy".

"He is speaking a politically motivated language... They have created a fear psychosis that the Union government is going to impose Hindi. Who is going to impose Hindi? I am an Odia-speaking person. Even in my state, a three-language formula has been implemented. The same is true for Punjab and West Bengal. Nowhere is Hindi being imposed as a third language. So, you (Mr Stalin and the DMK) have a political motivation," he said.

The minister pointed out that the PM-Poshan (mid-day meal) scheme had not been stopped in Tamil Nadu and alleged that the state government, due to its "rigid stand", was depriving students of another Rs 2,000 crore under the PM SHRI scheme. 

"What is there in PM SHRI? The NEP is recommending that up to the eighth standard, the teaching language should be the mother tongue. We are promoting Tamil as the medium of instruction until Class 8. Is that why the Tamil Nadu government is opposing PM SHRI schools? We are suggesting that digital boards should be there in all classrooms in PM SHRI schools, we are proposing Atal Tinkering Labs (high-tech workshops) as one component. Broadband connectivity and technology driven education will lead to new job opportunities," Mr Pradhan said. 

PM SHRI schools, the minister said, are an instrument of the NEP. 

"Today, the Government of India has taken a stand that the allocation for Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan will be a part of the successful implementation of the NEP. What opposition does the Tamil Nadu government have? Where is the language coming in? Due to their own myopic view, their own political interest, they have taken a stand. Which is unfortunate," he asserted.

'U-Turn'

The education minister reiterated that Hindi is not being imposed in any state and that parts of different states teach different languages. Citing an example of Odisha, he said that Telugu is taught in areas bordering Andhra Pradesh, Hindi is taught in the northern part of the state and Bengali in the eastern part. 

"Why are you depriving students of Tamil Nadu of a scientific approach to education, of digital blackboards, broadband connectivity, clean toilets and education in the mother tongue till Class 8? The Government of India is not rigid. I am talking to the honourable chief minister regularly. All MPs are coming to me," he said.

Making a big claim, the minister continued, "I don't want to disclose certain classified information, but at one point, they (Tamil Nadu government) were ready to implement NEP. They had agreed. An MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) had been drafted. But they backed out, why? Because they see politics in that, they think they can create an anti-Delhi narrative. It may suit them, but it is hampering the students and society of Tamil Nadu. This fear psychosis of Hindi imposition is uncalled for, unfortunate and politically motivated."

Mr Pradhan pointed out that many non-BJP governments have implemented the policy with similar conditions. "Why is a particular government taking such a stand? Because they want to live in a primitive time," he said. 

The minister said PM Modi's government does not see such issues in a political light. "My Prime Minister's commitment to the Tamil language and culture is beyond politics. We are not only thinking about party interest, we are thinking about national interest and Tamil Nadu is an integral part of Indian nationhood."