Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami declared on Monday his Government will not allow the three-language formula proposed by the Centre in National Education Policy (NEP).
The CM presided over a meeting which was attended among others by his council of Ministers and top officials on Monday. The main agenda of the meeting was to finalise the State’s response and reaction to the NEP announced by the Centre in which three-language formula finds “pride of place”.
“We will not allow the three-language policy ever in Tamil Nadu but we will go ahead with the two-language policy in our State,” he said. Palaniswami also asked the PM to reconsider the three-language formula.
“The collective sentiments of the people in Tamil Nadu and political parties, including the AIADMK, are only for following the two-language policy. It is saddening and painful to know that the three-language formula is part of the National Educational Policy,” Palaniswami said in a statement after the meeting.
He pointed out resolutions have been adopted by the Assembly expressing its opposition to Hindi and making it known without any doubt that the State would stick to the two-language policy.
The Chief Minister, in a veiled warning to the Centre told that if the interests of Tamil language or Tamils were affected, his Government would not hesitate to take steps at once.
Though the Chief Minister said the collective sentiments of the people and political parties were for two-language policy, many political outfits like DMDK led by Vijayakant, PT led by Dr Krishnasamy, Tamil Manila Congress of G K Vasan had declared their support for three-language formula.
Prof RY Johnson, former principal, Navodaya Vidyalaya, said it was impossible to wake up persons who act as if they were sleeping. “We can wake up people who are in deep sleep but it is not possible to wake up those who feign as if they are sleeping,’ said Prof Johnson.