Don’t play with sentiments of Tamils:DMK to Centre

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which ascended to power in Tamil Nadu on its vehement anti-Hindi stance in the 1960s, on Monday termed the three-language policy proposed by the Dr Kasturirangan Committee in its draft report as a “trial balloon on Tamils” and warned the BJP government not to “play with the sentiments of the people.”

The Opposition party, whose alliance swept the Lok Sabha polls by winning 37 of the 38 seats that went to polls riding high on an anti-Modi, anti-BJP wave, also said the DMK will “democratically fight” till the finish if there was any threat to the two-language— Tamil and English— policy that is in force in the state.

DMK’s strong-worded statement came even as the Union Government quietly removed a contentious portion in the draft national education policy which recommended making Hindi compulsory in non-Hindi speaking states under a three-language formula for school education.

The draft report had stirred a major controversy in states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka where political parties viewed it as imposition of Hindi on South India. The DMK, which utilised the anti-BJP sentiments in the state to the maximum to further its electoral prospects, jumped onto the bandwagon and demanded that the draft report be withdrawn.

At the meeting of district secretaries and elected representatives of the party on the 95th birth anniversary of its patriarch M Karunanidhi, the DMK adopted a resolution expressing hope that the Centre would not take a decision before consulting the people of the country whose culture is diverse.

“The Narendra Modi government, after taking over in 2014, had constituted a committee to set in motion a new education policy that is against Federalism and the policy of states on the basis of language. The committee has recommended implementation of three-language policy which is a direct form of imposing Hindi,” the resolution said.

Following protests from various quarters, the Centre has promised not to take a hasty decision before consulting stakeholders, the resolution noted and added that this was a “trial balloon” on Tamils.

“In a country that thrives on multiple culture and multiple languages, we hope the Centre will not arrive at any decision before consulting the people. Also, this meeting asks the BJP not to play with the sentiments of Tamils,” the resolution said.