NEP 2020 does not advocate imposition of any language: Pradhan to Stalin

The debate over the imposition of Hindi and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 continues in Tamil Nadu (TN) with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan recently writing to TN Chief Minister MK Stalin explaining that the NEP does not promote the forced use of any language, according to a report by The Indian Express.

 

Pradhan's letter came in response to Stalin’s letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, where the chief minister wrote about Pradhan's statements which suggested that Tamil Nadu would not get the funds unless it fully follows NEP 2020 and adopts the three-language policy.

 

In response, Pradhan wrote a letter to Stalin on Friday, stating that it was “inappropriate for the state to view NEP 2020 with a myopic vision and spin progressive education reforms into threats to sustain their political narratives”.

 

“The policy does not advocate the imposition of any language. Many non-BJP states have implemented the progressive policies of NEP despite political differences. NEP 2020 aims to broaden the horizon, not narrow them,” Pradhan wrote.

 

Debate around Hindi language and NEP 2020

 

The letter from Pradhan is part of a larger debate that has been going on for weeks between the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government over the imposition of the Hindi language. The Stalin government has alleged that the Centre is attempting to impose Hindi on southern states under the guise of the NEP, which suggests a three-language model for students.

 

Currently, schools in Tamil Nadu teach only two languages: Tamil and English. However, the central government wants Hindi to be included in the curriculum alongside other languages.

 

Stalin's letter to PM Modi

 

Stalin wrote to PM Modi, asking him to help release Rs 2,152 crore in Samagra Shiksha funds for the state. He requested that the funds not be linked to the implementation of NEP 2020. Stalin said that Pradhan’s statement, suggesting that Tamil Nadu would not get the funds unless it fully follows NEP 2020 and adopts the three-language policy, has caused great worry and unrest among students and the public.

 

In response, on Friday, Pradhan replied, saying that Stalin’s letter to the Prime Minister goes against the idea of cooperative federalism that the Modi government supports. He said that NEP 2020 allows linguistic freedom and that no language is being forced on any state.

 

“Tamil Nadu has always been a torchbearer of social and educational progress, pioneering some of the most transformative reforms in India…however, the continued opposition to the NEP 2020 for political reasons deprives students, teachers, and educational institutions in Tamil Nadu of the immense opportunities and resources that this policy offers. The policy is designed to be flexible, allowing states to customise its implementation to suit their unique educational needs,” Pradhan wrote. 

 

'States that accept Hindi, lose their mother tongue'

 

Tamil Nadu's strong opposition to the NEP and the three-language formula is driven by concerns over the potential loss of their mother tongue. During a recent party rally, Udhayanidhi Stalin, the deputy chief minister of Tamil Nadu and brother of CM Stalin, stated that states which accept Hindi risk losing their native languages.

 

"I am here to protest against the Union Government to protect our state’s education and language. I am not participating as deputy chief minister but as a member of the DMK youth wing. In the Union Budget 2025, funds were allocated to Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, while the Union Education Minister recently stated that Tamil Nadu would only receive funding if it accepts the three-language policy," he said, adding, "We are demanding our tax money and our rightful rights. If the BJP believes it can threaten us, it will never happen in Tamil Nadu," he said.