But when the court intervened in the education policy, the state government has remained mum.
Chennai: DMK working president M.K. Stalin on Thursday warned of another “language revolution” if the state and Central governments stitch up an alliance to launch Navodaya schools in Tamil Nadu, alleging that it gives importance only to Hindi in states where the language is not spoken.
In a statement here, Stalin sought to know from the AIADMK government why it did not appeal against the order of the Madurai Bench of the Madras high court that allowed opening of such schools in the state as it did when the court asked the administration to waive off all loans availed by farmers.
“When the Madras high court ordered it to waive off loans availed by farmers, the state government appealed against the verdict in the Supreme Court citing policy decision. But when the court intervened in the education policy, the state government has remained mum. People of Tamil Nadu will never forget this betrayal,” Stalin said in the statement.
Alleging that Navodaya schools in states where Hindi is not spoken gives importance only to that language while imparting education to students, Stalin said this was an “indirect” way of imposing Hindi on the people of Tamil Nadu. Since Hindi gets paramount importance in such schools, even teachers from Tamil Nadu who would like to join these institutions would be forced to learn the language, he claimed.
The DMK, whose anti-Hindi agitation catapulted it to power in 1967, pointed to entrance exams for students who like to earn admission in Navodaya Schools right from sixth standard. “When we are opposing entrance test like Neet for admission into medical colleges, how can we accept schools that ask students to write exams to get admission into sixth and ninth standard? How can Tamil students answer questions in Hindi language in the test?” he asked.
He also warned of a “massive agitation” by DMK cadre if there is any threat to the two-language policy, which was achieved after a successful agitation against imposition of Hindi by lakhs of people in Tamil Nadu.
“I would like to warn the BJP and the horse-trading AIADMK government not to spawn another language revolution,” he said.
