Govt deploys ministers to douse 3-language fire

The Centre on Sunday roped in External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to blunt the criticism from Tamil Nadu politicians over the three-language formula suggested in a draft national education policy.

Tamil Nadu politicians, including DMK leaders, are up in arms against “the imposition” of the three-language formula in schools since a draft national education policy pitching for its “continuation” was released by the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry for public comments and suggestions on Friday.

The draft policy recommended making Hindi a compulsory subject in non-Hindi speaking states under the three-language formula. “The study of languages by students in non-Hindi speaking states would include the regional language, Hindi and English. Study of three languages by students in Hindi-speaking states would continue to include Hindi and English and one of the modern Indian languages,” it said.

To quell apprehensions in Tamil Nadu, Jaishankar tweeted in Tamil and English, assuring that no language will be imposed on any of the states.

“The National Education Policy as submitted to the Minister, HRD is only a draft report. Feedback shall be obtained from general public. State governments will be consulted. Only after this the draft report will be finalised. GoI respects all languages. No language will be imposed,” he stated on the micro-blogging site. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also came up with a clarification on the K Kasturirangan Committee’s push for the continuation of the three-language formula.

“The draft policy submitted by the committee will be implemented only after consulting people. The Prime Minister has launched #EkBharatSreshthaBharat only with the motive of promoting all languages,” she tweeted.

With no ministers representing Tamil Nadu sworn in, fielding Jaisahankar and Nirmala to counter the row over the issue was seen as an attempt by the Modi government to reach out to masses and quell apprehensions as both the Union ministers hail from Tamil Nadu.

After the controversy broke out, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar, who held the HRD ministry in the previous regime of Modi, was the first to come out with a clarification on Saturday, assuring that no language will be imposed on any of the state.

“We have received the draft report to take suggestions from people. A draft report is not a policy. Somewhere, this misunderstanding has happened. People think this has become a policy. No language will be imposed on any state,” HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said on Saturday. Amid the row, senior Congress leader and former Union Minister of State for HRD Shashi Tharoor said the solution to the three-language formula is not by abandoning the idea but ensuring its better implementation.