nTamil Nadu is in for another bout of anti-Centre agitation in the backdrop of the massive win registered by the DMK and its allies in the recently held General Election. The DMK, which is out of power, both at Chennai and the Centre since 2011 and 2013 respectively, is hoping to the keep the BJP-led Union Government on tenterhooks alleging anti-Tamil approach and discrimination against the State. The latest cause for the anti-Centre stance is reports in some of the social media platforms accusing the BJP Government of attempting to impose Hindi on Tamil Nadu.
‘The BJP and the Prime Minister are angry at the people of Tamil Nadu for not voting for the BJP,” alleged MK Stalin in a release. The Kasturi Rangan Committee’s draft recommendation on the New Education Policy which was submitted to the Centre on Saturday has come handy for the DMK and fringe Tamil groups to sustain the anti-Modi campaign till the next Assembly Elections, said a senior bureaucrat at the State Secretariat.
The NEP has recommended the introduction of three-language system for school education, particularly from the eighth standard onwards. This has upset the Dravidian parties and they have already issued that the State would witness massive agitations if the Centre goes ahead with the three-language policy.
“The Centre should not think, even in a distant dream, about implementing the three-language policy by sabotaging the existing two-language policy. The Centre’s greed will be self-damaging,” said Stalin despite the assurance by Prakash Javdekar, Union Minister for Human Resources Development that no decision has been taken by the Centre and made it clear that the Kasturi Rangan Committee report was a draft recommendation only.
Vaiko, the MDMK general secretary, who is expected to reach the Rajya Sabha in July, thanks to a goodwill gesture by the DMK, went one step ahead and warned the Prime Minister of widespread riots. “If Hindi is imposed, there would be an explosion of anti-Hindu protests in Tamil Nadu, this time with much greater vigour and intensity,” warned Vaiko referring to the anti-Hindi agitation of the 1960s that claimed many lives in the State.
But there are many people in Tamil Nadu who want the introduction of Hindi in school curriculum. Badri Prasad, theatre personality and founder of Crazy Brothers, a leading Ramil drama troop is of the view that Tamil students should learn as many languages as possible. “We cannot deny the students the right to learn because of vested interests by some politicians. If the children in Tamil Nadu are denied the chance to learn Hindi, we are denying them a livelihood,” said Prasad.
But Kamal Hassan, the film actor-turned-politician is of the view that Hindi should not be imposed on anyone against their wish. “Kamal Haassan has imposed many Tamil films on the people of Tamil Nadu and the suggestion to have Hindi as a subject of learning is not as cruel as that of such movies,” retorted Prasad. He also pointed out the Hindi posters pasted across Chennai city by the DMK soliciting votes from the Hindi speaking people in the State.