Protests Erupt in Chennai Over Government's Trilingual Policy

Chennai, Feb 19 (NationPress) Students at Presidency College in Chennai organized a demonstration on Wednesday against the Union government’s suggested trilingual policy, perceiving it as an effort to enforce Hindi in Tamil Nadu.

As per police reports, students assembled at the college entrance, expressing their discontent with the policy.

This protest occurs amidst ongoing friction between the Tamil Nadu administration and the Centre regarding the execution of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

The situation escalated after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan tied the release of educational funds under the Samagra Shiksha initiative to Tamil Nadu’s acceptance of the NEP and its trilingual approach.

This stipulation has incited significant backlash from the state government.

Tamil Nadu’s School Education Minister, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, criticized Pradhan’s comments during a protest organized by the INDIA bloc on Tuesday.

He reiterated the state’s position, stating, “We reject the National Education Policy (NEP), the PM-SHRI scheme, and Hindi imposition. The Union government is attempting to coerce states into adopting the NEP, but Tamil Nadu will not yield to such pressure.”

The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has persistently opposed the NEP, contending that it is a veiled attempt to enforce Hindi under the guise of multilingual education.

The party has also accused the Centre of promoting an anti-Tamil and anti-Dravidian agenda.

Union Minister Pradhan, however, refuted these claims, asserting that the Tamil Nadu government was politicizing the matter.

He questioned why the state was resisting the NEP when many other states had embraced it, further alleging that Tamil Nadu initially consented to the Centre’s conditions but later reneged.

Speaking at the Kashi Tamil Sangamam event in Varanasi, Pradhan stated: “Tamil Nadu must follow constitutional norms and implement the NEP in both letter and spirit.”

However, DMK legislator Ezhilan pointed out that, according to the Official Language (Use for Official Purposes of the Union) Rules, 1976, Tamil Nadu is exempt from Hindi imposition.

He stressed that individuals wishing to learn Hindi may do so voluntarily but argued against making it compulsory.

On Monday, the DMK released a statement denouncing Pradhan’s comments, accusing the Centre of bullying Tamil Nadu by threatening to cut education funding.

The statement also criticized Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, alleging that she has shown bias in fund distribution and has consistently overlooked Tamil Nadu’s initiatives.

Additionally, the party accused the Centre of meddling in state matters through the Governor’s office and attempting to undermine Tamil Nadu’s education system via the University Grants Commission (UGC).

The AIADMK, which has also opposed the three-language formula, reaffirmed its dedication to the state’s traditional two-language policy of Tamil and English.

AIADMK General Secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) reiterated the party’s resistance to Hindi imposition.

Meanwhile, ousted AIADMK leader and former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam (OPS) also called for the Centre to retract its insistence on the trilingual policy.

As political factions unite against the NEP’s language provisions and student demonstrations escalate, Tamil Nadu’s opposition to the policy is a significant issue between the state and the Centre.

The DMK has suggested that the protest marks the onset of a larger campaign against the NEP’s implementation in Tamil Nadu.