What is the three-language policy? Know the reason behind the language dispute in Tamil Nadu
The dispute between Tamil Nadu and the Central Government over the language policy is deepening once again. Recently, the Central Government has stopped the amount of Rs 2,152 crore to be given to Tamil Nadu under the Samagra Shiksha Yojana. This decision was taken due to the state not joining the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM Shri) scheme. Tamil Nadu wants to join the scheme but is opposing the three-language policy being implemented under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The state government believes that this policy is an attempt to indirectly impose Hindi, which will affect its traditional two-language policy. This dispute has once again created tension in the Center-State relations and fueled the debate about education policy.
What is the three-language policy?
According to NEP 2020, students in schools will have to learn three languages, at least two of which will be languages of Indian origin. This means that apart from the state language, children will have to learn at least one other Indian language – not necessarily Hindi. However, Tamil Nadu fears that this is an attempt to snatch away the linguistic independence of the state by imposing Hindi through the 'back door'.
Tamil Nadu’s stand against Hindi implementation
The opposition to the implementation of Hindi' in Tamil Nadu is not new. The first attempt to make Hindi compulsory in 1937 was met with massive opposition and the British government had to withdraw the order. In 1965, 70 people lost their lives in protests against making Hindi the national language. The state has been following a two-language policy (Tamil and English) since 1968.
Disputes between union and state governments on language issue
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has made it clear that there will be no relaxation in the three-language policy. At the same time, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has termed the Center's decision as 'linguistic coercion' and insisted that the state will not succumb to 'blackmail' and will not give up its historically adopted two-language policy.
This controversy has once again highlighted the confrontation between the Center and the Tamil Nadu government over language and education policy. Tamil Nadu is adamant about the two-language policy to protect its cultural and linguistic heritage, while the central government is considering the three-language formula as an integral part of the National Education Policy. The issue has not only given rise to a debate on the federal structure and the rights of the states, but also demonstrated how sensitive language-related issues can be in a multilingual country like India. Now it will be interesting to see how this deadlock will be resolved—will there be an agreement between the Center and the State, or will this dispute deepen further?