Revising its draft education policy, the Centre Monday dropped the contentious provision of compulsory teaching of Hindi in non-Hindi speaking states after the three-language proposal sparked outrage, mainly in Tamil Nadu.
The DMK and other parties in Tamil Nadu, which had strongly opposed the proposal in the 484-page draft National Education Policy(NEP) to make Hindi a mandatory third language to be taught in schools across the country, welcomed the Centre's decision.
The parties had alleged that the move was tantamount to thrusting the Hindi language on the non-Hindi speaking states.
"Students who wish to change one or more of the three languages they are studying may do so in Grade 6 or Grade 7, so long as they are able to still demonstrate proficiency in three languages (one language at the literature level) in their modular Board Examinations some time during secondary school," the revised draft of the NEP said.
In the earlier draft, the panel proposed mandatory teaching of Hindi in non-Hindi speaking states.
"Students who wish to change one of the three languages they are studying may do so in Grade 6, so long as the study of three languages by students in the Hindi-speaking states would continue to include Hindi and English and one of the modern Indian languages from other parts of India, while the study of languages by students in the non-Hindi-speaking states would include the regional language, Hindi and English," the earlier draft policy said.
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Tamil Nadu had always resisted the "imposition" of Hindi. In 1965, the state witnessed violent protests against a proposal that Hindi would be India's only official language.
Karnataka Chief minister H D Kumaraswamy Sunday said one language should not be imposed on others in the name of three-language formula.
The DMK on Monday said the Centre's decision showed that late party patriarch M Karunanidhi was "living," apparently suggesting that it was a success to his legacy of opposing "imposition" of Hindi.
After presiding over a meet of his party district secretaries, MPs, and MLAs, DMK president M K Stalin said in a tweet: "At a time when we are celebrating the birth anniversary of Thalaivar (leader) Kalaignar (late Karunanidhi), the Central government withdrawing the Hindi compulsory subject clause shows that Kalaignar is living."
A resolution adopted in the meeting said: "This meet categorically states that the DMK will democratically fight tooth and nail any decision that may imperil the two language policy in force in Tamil Nadu."
It cautioned the BJP-led government at the Centre to "not play with the sentiments of the Tamil people."
"Such a change in language choice in Grade 6 would certainly be feasible if the student so desires and would in such cases be supported by teachers and the schooling system."
Asserting that no attempt should be made to impose Hindi forcefully, Siddaramaiah said, "If they are making a three-language policy, then it will be like forceful imposition."