Chennai, Tamil Nadu: A row has broken out after the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) decided to affix Hindi names to its English textbooks, causing allegations of Hindi imposition and triggering opposition from the teachers Union’s. The All India Federation of Elementary Teachers Organisations (AIFETO) strongly opposed the decision, calling for the names to be changed back to English.
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The row focuses on a range of NCERT textbooks for classes 1 and 2 and classes 3 and 4, which reportedly have been repackaged under new Hindi titles. For example, “The CBSE Class 6 and 7 English textbooks have been re-titled ‘Poorvi’, the Class 1 and 2 books ‘Mridang’, and the Class 3 and 4 books ‘Santoor’.”.
In the same manner, Class 6 mathematics has also been titled ‘Ganit Prakash’, the Class 6 art book ‘Kriti 1’, the Class 3 physical education book ‘Khel Yatra’, and the Class 6 vocational education book ‘Kaushal Bodh’ in Hindi. Analogously, the titles of mathematics, science, and social science books for other classes have also been altered from English to Hindi.
The decision has been greeted with intense opposition, especially from states that do not speak Hindi. Mr. V. Annamalai, Senior President of the Tamil Nadu Teachers’ Alliance and AIFETO’s National Secretary, was vehemently opposed to the decision in a letter to Union Education Minister Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan.
“In a context where states like Tamil Nadu are resolutely rejecting the policy of trilingualism, the renaming of NCERT’s English books to Hindi is quite shocking,” Mr. Annamalai said. “AIFETO condemns this and will never agree to it.”
Mr. Annamalai also blamed the Union Education Ministry, headed by Minister Mr. Pradhan, for showing undue interest in spreading Hindi. He wondered why the name change was necessary, particularly when even Hindi-speaking states did not ask for a change. He presented the move as an open case of Hindi imposition, as English is a common language in the country.
The AIFETO representative also referred to the growing autonomy given to NCERT after the BJP-led NDA government took office, accusing an ever-growing “presence of Hindi imposition” in the activities of the organisation.
Mr. Annamalai underscored the Tamil Nadu sensitivity about language by declaring, “As far as Tamil Nadu is concerned, we don’t resist any language, including Hindi. But when Hindi is imposed on the people, saying that they must learn Hindi, the whole state automatically resists it. We totally negate and will never approve of this name change, particularly when Tamil Nadu still resists the trilingual policy.”
The organisation also expressed concern over perceived threats to federalism. Mr. Annamalai claimed that the Education Ministry was using the National Education Policy (NEP) to pressurise states, pointing to fears of possible withholding of funds under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan scheme if the Tamil Nadu government fails to implement the NEP.
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Aside from the immediate problem of book titles, AIFETO cautioned that the Union Education Ministry’s apparent Hindi push might have political implications for the BJP, especially in non-Hindi states. They stressed the value of linguistic diversity and warned against moves that overlook the feelings of non-Hindi speaking people.
“The central government is not interested in how the non-Hindi speaking states respond whenever there is a move to impose Hindi or when the central government attempts to impose the trilingual policy forcibly. This is a wrong trend. We regard such actions that show no respect for the sentiments of the people as attacks on language and culture,” Mr. Annamalai said.
While acknowledging Hindi as the official language of the Union, as enshrined in the Indian Constitution, AIFETO stressed that any attempt to force Hindi as a mandatory third language would be met with resistance.
Mr. Annamalai also pointed to a perceived contradiction in Prime Minister Modi’s recent remarks about officials signing letters in Tamil, while his own Education Ministry is being accused of promoting Hindi imposition.
In summary, AIFETO reaffirmed its central demand: the abandonment of any effort to impose Hindi and the reversal of the NCERT textbook titles back to English immediately. They called on the central government to desist from attempting to “create a divide between Hindi-speaking and non-Hindi-speaking states through Hindi imposition.” The controversy serves to underscore the long-standing sensitivity around language policy in India and the difficulty of managing linguistic diversity within a single nation.
Contact AIFETO Annamalai @ 94442 12060 / 9962222314. annamalaiaifeto@gmail.com
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