Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin came down heavily on the central government in the three-language row, claiming that forced adoption of Hindi language has "swallowed" 25 north Indian languages over the years.
"The push for a monolithic Hindi identity is what kills ancient mother tongues. UP and Bihar were never just "Hindi heartlands." Their real languages are now relics of the past," Stalin said in a post on X, sharing the letter he has written in connection with the incident.
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Tamil Nadu's DMK government and the Centre have been at loggerheads over the three-language policy under the National Education Policy (NEP), which necessitates the inclusion of Hindi.
{{/usCountry}}Tamil Nadu's DMK government and the Centre have been at loggerheads over the three-language policy under the National Education Policy (NEP), which necessitates the inclusion of Hindi.
{{/usCountry}}Stalin alleged that in this language imposition, "Hindi is the mask and Sanskrit is the hidden face".
He further said in his letter that the notion of Hindi being the "only unifying language of the nation and all other languages are secondary is a deliberate attempt to erase linguistic diversity".
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The Tamil Nadu CM listed several languages that "are now gasping for survival", including Bhojpuri, Maithili, Awadhi, Braj, Bundeli, Garhwali, Kumaoni, Magahi, Marwari, Malvi, Chhattisgarhi, Santhali, Angika, Ho, Kharia, Khortha, Kurmali, Kurukh, and Mundari among others.
"More than 25 north Indian native languages have been destroyed by the invasion of hegemonic Hindi-Sanskrit languages. The century-old Dravidian movement safeguarded Tamil and its culture because of the awareness it created and the various agitations," the ruling DMK chief said.
He termed the new education policy to be a "systematic" attempt at the hands of the BJP-led Centre to suppress Indian languages and imposing Hindi over them.
In contrast to the BJP's "claims" of Tamil Nadu and few other states opposing Hindi imposition, Stalin asked, "where is the much-touted 'Indian unity'" if there is no respect for the nation's linguistic diversity.
Stalin further asked whether non-Hindi sign boards were displayed at the Maha Kumbh in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj, which was attended by devotees from across the nation and from different diversities.
Citing the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, Stalin said that it lists 22 officially recognised languages but, many are still excluded. If analysed, it will become clear that the "goal is not unity but the systematic erasure of linguistic diversity" in the pretext of centralisation.
The DMK chief said that Tamil teacher positions remain vacant in the central government's Kendriya Vidyalaya schools in the southern state. MP Thiruchu Siva had questioned the Centre, asking them if there were any details about the appointment of Tamil teachers, he noted.
For this, in a response on August 5, 2021, union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan had said that no provision was there to appoint teachers for regional languages in KV schools. "This is the BJP government's so-called concern for Tamil," Stalin remarked in the letter.
He noted how around half a century ago, the great scholar and leader Anna enacted the two-language policy into a law in Tamil Nadu to ensure that there is no place in this land for anyone trying to impose Aryan culture. "Only by turning back the pages of history can the younger generation truly understand the deception of today's Union rulers!" Stalin wrote.
The Tamil Nadu CM and DMK supremo affirmed that there is no space for the three-language policy in the state's education framework, saying that the two-language policy will continue to be in place.