No language should be imposed, let students choose: Cong on mandatory Hindi plan

Senior Congress leader and former MLA Marri Shashidhar Reddy Monday welcomed the Centre's decision to drop the provision of mandatory teaching of Hindi in non-Hindi speaking states in the revised draft education policy.

"No doubt that the three language policy has been enunciated long back. But, it was almost given up. Recalling the long anti-Hindi agitation that was witnessed particularly in Tamil Nadu, now, for that to find a place in 2019 in draft education policy, was something which was not necessary," he told PTI.

The knowledge of English gave a headstart to Indians in the IT sector, while the Chinese struggled to learn English, he said.

If a student feels that a certain language would help him, he would choose it but no language should be imposed, he said.

Organisations like the Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha, which actively spread Hindi in the southern states, should be strengthened, Reddy, a former vice-chairman of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), said.

The Centre on Monday dropped the contentious provision of mandatory teaching of Hindi in non-Hindi speaking states, as it issued a revised draft education policy amid outrage over its earlier suggestion.

The DMK and other parties in Tamil Nadu had strongly opposed the three-language formula in the draft National Education Policy and alleged that it was tantamount to thrusting the Hindi language on the non-Hindi speaking states.