Inappropriate to view NEP with myopic vision, spin reforms into threats: Dharmendra Pradhan to CM Stalin

New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS) Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday hit back at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on the three-language NEP Policy issue, saying that it "was inappropriate for the State to view NEP 2020 with a myopic vision and spin progressive educational reforms into threats to sustain their political narrative".  

He said this is a written reply to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, and added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is fully committed to promoting and popularising the eternal Tamil culture and language globally.

Earlier, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin wrote a letter to the Prime Minister where he said that Samagra Shiksha funds for Tamil Nadu were not being released. He also raised questions on the three-language policy.

The Tamil Nadu government had alleged that Hindi is being imposed by a three-language policy under NEP.

Union Education Minister said in his letter, "Tamil is not just a regional identity but a national treasure. Let me unequivocally state that there is no question of imposing any language on any state or community. NEP 2020 upholds the principle of linguistic freedom and ensures that students continue to learn in the language of their choice. In fact, one of the core objectives of the policy is to revive and strengthen the teaching of Indian languages, including Tamil, which have been gradually side-lined in formal education over the decades."

"This brings me to a crucial point-the three-language policy, which has been the backbone of India's education framework since 1968. Unfortunately, despite being part of successive education policies, it was never implemented in letter and spirit, leading to a decline in the systematic teaching of Indian languages in schools. Over time, this has resulted in an over-reliance on foreign languages, limiting students' exposure to their linguistic roots. NEP 2020 seeks to correct this historical oversight by ensuring that every Indian language, including Tamil, receives its rightful place in education," Pradhan added.

The letter states, "The continued opposition to NEP 2020 for political reasons deprives students, teachers, and educational institutions in Tamil Nadu of the immense opportunities and resources that this policy offers. The policy is designed to be flexible, allowing states to customize its implementation to suit their unique educational needs. Moreover, centrally-supported programs such as Samagra Shiksha are aligned with NEP 2020. Also, PM SHRI schools have been conceptualised to be NEP exemplar schools. Hence, it is inappropriate for the State to view NEP 2020 with a myopic vision and spin progressive educational reforms into threats to sustain their political narratives."

"The letter sent to the Hon'ble Prime Minister is a complete negation of the spirit of cooperative federalism, promoted by the Modi government. The policy does not advocate the imposition of any language. Many non-BJP states have implemented the progressive policies of NEP despite political differences." Pradhan said.

"I would, therefore, request you to rise above political differences and look into the matter holistically keeping in mind the interest of our young learners. The Prime Minister during his visit to Chennai on 26th May, 2022 had said "Tamil language is eternal and Tamil culture is global. The Government is fully committed to popularising Tamil language and culture", Pradhan told the Tamil Nadu chief minister in his letter.

"As you are aware, under the directions of the Prime Minister, Kashi Tamil Sangamam and Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam were organised by the Government of India to celebrate our shared diversity and cultural confluence between Tamil Nadu and other parts of India. During the ongoing Kashi Tamil Sangamam, 41 classical Tamil works of literature translated into Hindi language by CICT have been released by me along with Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. It is a matter of national pride that Tamil language is one of the oldest classical languages in the world and the oldest in India," the letter further reads.