Chennai: Continuing its campaign against Hindi ‘imposition’, the DMK on Tuesday proposed that the two-language formula of DMK founder CN Annadurai should be implemented not just in Tamil Nadu but all over the country. The Centre had only on Monday issued a modification in its draft National Educational Policy (NEP) dropping the contentious provision of compulsory teaching of Hindi in non-Hindi speaking states.
The DMK mouthpiece ‘Murasoli’ in its editorial Tuesday called for a “full-stop” to the issue. On the Centre revising the draft NEP dropping the insistence on Hindi learning, the DMK paper said this was done only due to the opposition to the proposal. “The Centre has retreated. Imposing (Hindi) and retreating is their chameleon like acting,” it said.
“The two-language policy drafted by Anna is the formula that should be implemented in the whole of India. Journeying in the path of Anna alone will protect Indianness,” Murasoli said in the editorial.
In Tamil Nadu, a two-language formula of Tamil and English is being followed since 1968 after the DMK stormed to power in 1967 under the leadership of Dravidian icon C N Annadurai. Tracing the decades-old opposition to Hindi in TN, the paper accused the BJP-led government of imposing the language and expressed apprehension that the Centre may thrust Sanskrit in future.
"Their (BJP's) final goal is only Sanskrit,” it alleged while claiming that the BJP's precursor Jan Sangh had once said that Sanskrit should be the official language for the whole of India.
DMK president M.K. Stalin had alleged on Monday that the Centre had dropped the contentious clause mandating Hindi learning “only with intent to deceive”. And if the Centre does not come out with the assurance in the next couple of days that Hindi would not be thrust upon the non-Hindi-speaking people, “the leaders of the alliance partners here will get together decide and following that, Tamil Nadu will witness a massive agitation. Be prepared.”
