Two language policy will continue in Tamil Nadu: Minister

Tamil Nadu on Thursday reiterated that it will continue to follow the “two language” policy of using Tamil and English and reinforced its opposition to “imposition” of Hindi, in response to Governor R N Ravi’s statement that depriving students of knowledge of “other Indian languages was unfair to all”.

In a two-page statement, Minister for Industries, Tamil Official Language and Tamil Culture, Archaeology, Thangam Thenarasu, asserted that the two language policy followed in Tamil Nadu since 1967 has not impacted people from the state in their educational qualification or accessing “high positions.”

The minister also took a subtle dig at the Governor on the issue of NEET by reminding him that legislation passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly seeking exemption from the exam was pending before him for the past four months. He said as many as 579 students from the CBSE stream had figured in the list of students who scored the first 1,000 ranks, implying that the NEET exam puts students from the state board stream at a disadvantageous position.

“The only way to ensure social justice in medical admissions is to admit students into medical colleges based only on their plus-two marks. The bill is pending before the Governor. I hope that the Governor will respect the sentiments of students of Tamil Nadu by approving the Bill and sending it to the President for his assent,” Thenarasu said.

Thenarasu’s statement came two days after Ravi in his Republic Day message highlighted the importance of the Tamil language while stressing that students from Tamil Nadu also learn other Indian languages like students in other states. “Depriving our students of knowledge of other Indian languages is unfair to all,” Ravi had said.

His statement was interpreted as his batting for Hindi in an indirect manner by the DMK government. Thenarasu, in his statement, said those who are aware of the language struggle in Tamil Nadu would understand that other Indian languages automatically points to Hindi.

“It is only to respect the sentiments of the people of Tamil Nadu that the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru (in 1963) announced that Hindi will be imposed on states that do not like to speak the language,” Thenarasu said.

As a continuation, Thenarasu said, the then Chief Minister C N Annadurai had in 1967 announced that Tamil Nadu will follow “dual language policy.” “I would like to point out to the Governor that the Tamil Nadu government that has been the policy of the state administration since then,” the minister said.