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Modi’s Pariksha Pe Charcha on Pongal day invites opposition wrath in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu School Education Department has directed schools to keep television sets ready and generator on standby for the telecast of the nation-wide address by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Pariksha Pe Charcha with students, scheduled for January 16, has run into controversy in Tamil Nadu with the opposition lashing out at the state government’s directive seeking school’s participation on the most important day of the four-day-long Pongal festivities.
In an advisory on Thursday, the Tamil Nadu School Education Department directed schools to keep television sets ready and generator on standby for the telecast of the nation-wide address by the prime minister. It also asks for the presence of students of classes 9 to 12 and teachers for the address.
DMK and Vaiko’s MDMK are up in arms against the move and have demanded the withdrawal of the government circular.
“While the BJP has not given up its sinister plan of erasing the great significance that Pongal holds for the Tamils and their happiness, the school education minister and the director of school education have become the saffron party’s propaganda secretaries,” DMK chief Stalin said.
MDMK leader Vaiko also condemned the directive, which require officials to monitor students’ attendance in schools and provide feedback.
“Revoke the circular and allow students to celebrate the festival without any heartache,” he said in a statement.
The uproar forced Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) and School Education Minister KA Sengottaiyan to clarify that attendance was not mandatory for the Pariksha Pe Charcha address in schools.
“The arrangements in schools are being done so that those students who don’t have television sets at home, could come to the school and watch and listen the PM’s address and interaction with students from Talkatora Stadium in the national capital,” EPS told the media in Salem.
Similarly, Sengottaiyan, too, said the decision to attend or not had been left to the students.
“Students can watch the event on social media like facebook besides on TV. Attendance at schools is not mandatory,” he explained to reporters at Erode.
However, this has failed to kill the controversy since the circular requiring every school to make necessary arrangements for the event has not been withdrawn.
Pongal, the four-day harvest festival, is the cultural expression of the Tamils. The first day is Bhogi, the second is Pongal, the third is Mattu Pongal and the final days is celebrated as Kaanum Pongal and saint-poet Thiruvalluvar’s day, when Jallikattu, the traditional bull sport, is held across the state.
