TAMIL Nadu rejects 3- language formula reaffirming to continue the 2-language policy

TAMIL Nadu government has resolved to retain 2-language formula for school students opposing the 3-language formula as proposed in the New Education Policy (NEP). Deceased chief ministers Annadurai, MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa were firmly against the ‘imposition’ of Hindi on the people of the southern state. “The three-language formula in the NEP is painful and saddening. The Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) should reconsider the three-language policy,” CM Palaniswami said in a statement. The historic resolution on the 2-language formula tabled and approved in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on January 23, 1968, proposed to abolish the three-language policy in all schools in the state, removing Hindi from the State syllabus but allowing only Tamil and English, he added. Later, the AIADMK government led M G Ramachandran had in 1986 adopted an Assembly resolution asserting the two-language policy. The state has been following the two-language policy for several decades and that there will be no change in it. His assertion came amidst opposition demand, including from DMK, that the government should reject the three-language formula proposed in NEP and stick to its two-language policy. CM had discussed the matter with his senior cabinet colleagues. The Opposition led by DMK wrote to the chief minister asking him to adopt a Cabinet resolution against the new NEP. Tamil Nadu will never allow the Centre’s three-language formula. The state will continue with its dual language policy (of Tamil and English),” Palaniswami said. He had discussed the issue with Deputy CM O Panneerselvam, Ministers for higher education and school education, K P Anbalagan and K A Sengottaiyan and others before making the statement. The Centre should allow the states to implement their own policy on the subject, he said, adding there will be no change to the two-language formula which the state had adopted decades ago.NEP proposes teaching up to class 5 in mother tongue or regional language and lowering the stakes of board exams as part of the sweeping reforms. Image courtesy to Scroll.in