Chennai: Union minister of state for finance and shipping Pon Radhakrishnan has accused the opposition DMK of “betraying” Tamils by encouraging the mushrooming of private schools that taught Hindi while the party outwardly opposed Hindi and gave an impression that it championed the cause of Tamil.
Expressing strong resentment to the opposition to the establishment of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas in TN, the minister alleged that the DMK had unfairly applied the principle in different ways to different groups, thus betraying people of the state. “Is this not betrayal (on the part of the DMK) to grant permission to private schools to teach Hindi while it opposed Hindi?” he asked. Speaking after garlanding the statue of political leader S. S. Ramasami Padayatchiyar on the occasion of latter's 99th birthday at Guindy here on Saturday, Mr Radhakrishnan noted that there was no rationale in opposing Navodaya schools on the basis of language.
“Hindi is being taught in the private schools in the state and both the AIADMK and the DMK parties, which successively ruled the state, had accorded permission to the schools. Navodaya schools offer free education and mother tongue is compulsory in these residential schools. Tamil is offered even at higher secondary level in Navodaya schools,” the minister said. He demanded the closure of all private schools if the Dravidian parties continued to oppose the establishment of the Navodaya schools.
Meanwhile, Mr Radhakrishnan is scheduled to inaugurate a blood donation camp to be held at Asaripallam Government Hospital in Nagercoil on Sunday, as part of the 67th birthday celebrations of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He would also launch a series of programmes including Swachch Bharat campaign vehicle at Vadasery (in Nagercoil) and administer a pledge besides initiate sapling planting campaign.
