In a statement released by V. Annamalai, National Secretary of AIFETO and senior leader of the Tamil Nadu Teachers’ Association, he strongly criticised Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for acting beyond his role as Education Minister and behaving like an autocrat.
Dharmendra Pradhan has stated that Tamil Nadu’s allocation of ₹1,252 crore in educational funds will be released only if the state accepts the National Education Policy (NEP) and the three-language policy. His stance has united people across Tamil Nadu, cutting across party lines, in opposition to the NEP and the three-language policy, leading to widespread protests. Students have also staged demonstrations in front of the Minister’s office in Delhi.
Unlike previous education ministers, Dharmendra Pradhan is acting without any understanding, in violation of constitutional principles and against the linguistic policies of individual states. Since the tenure of Jawaharlal Nehru as Prime Minister, Tamil Nadu has adhered strictly to the two-language policy introduced by former Chief Minister Annadurai, which has been followed by all subsequent Chief Ministers.
Tamil Nadu is home to speakers of Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Urdu, and people continue to study in their mother tongues. At the national and international levels, English serves as a link language, which is why students opt to learn English.
Globally, many countries provide education in the mother tongue up to research levels. Students educated in their native language have gone on to hold key positions worldwide. Several top scientists and officials at ISRO, for instance, are from Tamil Nadu and have studied in government schools in Tamil-medium education.
Many of those who have participated in parliamentary debates with eloquence are products of Tamil Nadu’s government schools. Prime Minister Modi, who represents 1.4 billion Indians, speaks in Hindi whenever he travels abroad. Former Prime Minister Vajpayee also spoke in Hindi in various debates. However, Tamil Nadu’s Members of Parliament speak in English. Now, with the advancement of technology, they have started speaking in their mother tongue, Tamil, as well.
It is primarily the states that should decide which language should be taught. This is a policy-related decision. Parents have the right to choose which language their children should learn.
Tamil Nadu BJP President Annamalai has issued a statement, in which he said: “52 lakh students are studying in government schools, while 56 lakh students are studying in private schools. Among them, 30 lakh students in private schools are following the three-language policy. But what is preventing students in government schools from studying under the three-language policy?”
Out of the total 56,000 schools in Tamil Nadu, only 16,490 are self-financed private schools. Among these, only 1,235 CBSE self-financed private schools offer Hindi. This means that only 3.16% of students study Hindi. Approximately 10 lakh students in Tamil Nadu are learning Hindi. The state follows the Samacheer Kalvi (Uniform Education) system. Reports say one thing, but reality is different.
No one in Tamil Nadu asks students why they are learning Hindi. However, the attempt to impose Hindi under the guise of the three-language policy is being strongly opposed by Tamil Nadu, standing in the footsteps of language martyrs.
The Union Education Minister stating that funds for the education of 4.3 million students will be allocated only if the National Education Policy, the three-language formula, and the PM SHRI school scheme are accepted is an authoritarian approach. Elections are approaching in Tamil Nadu. If you take a stand against the educational welfare of Tamil Nadu students, the resentment against you will be strongly reflected at the polling booths. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan should introspect and withdraw his statement.
To protect the educational rights of poor and underprivileged students and to safeguard the two-language policy, we firmly declare that we will never accept the National Education Policy. We also announce that a massive protest will soon be held in front of the Union Education Minister’s office in Delhi.
The renowned Kothari Education Commission recommended that 6% of the total GDP be allocated for education. However, the central government continues to allocate less than 4%. We demand that the education budget be increased to 6% of GDP. Additionally, we urge the central government to immediately release the pending ₹2,152 crore Integrated School Education Fund for Tamil Nadu.
In our next statement, we will provide a detailed analysis of the linguistic sentiments and educational standards in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat. This was stated in the report.
AIFETO Annamalai Contact Information : annamalaiaifeto@gmail.com
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