'3-Language Formula Is A Burden On All Students'

'Why should children, who are already burdened with so many subjects, be over-burdened with three languages?'

The anti-Hindi agitation in Tamil Nadu in the 1960s was a landmark event in independent India.

When the enactment of the Official Languages Act of 1963 came into force in 1965, DMK leader C N Annadurai labelled it as the Centre's way of imposing Hindi on non-Hindi speaking states.

What followed was days of massive anti-Hindi agitation led by the DMK which had huge participation by students. It resulted in a change in the political landscape of Tamil Nadu; the end of Congress rule and the beginning of Dravidian rule.

The DMK alleges that the current Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre is now trying to impose Hindi on Tamil Nadu through the National Education Policy.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin says the state won't accept the National Education Policy even if it was offered Rs 10,000 crore.

Where will this standoff lead to?

"While youngsters may not be militantly pro-Tamil, many are still not convinced about learning Hindi in order to progress in life," Dr Karthick Ram Manoharan, Assistant Professor, Social Sciences, at the National Law School, Bengaluru, tells Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier.

The war of words between Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin has reached a crescendo.
How do you see this playing out in the coming days?

This is going to be fought out quite intensely in the coming days.

That's because language politics is not just a political issue for the DMK but a matter of its very identity.

The DMK as a party was formed by championing the language rights of the Tamil people. It was its primary political agenda, and it was through the anti-Hindi agitation that it captured power in the 1960s.

They can compromise on anything else, but they can never compromise on language politics. Because it would mean a change in their fundamental identity.

Will the anti-Hindi campaign have the same social impact like it had in the 1960s?

Yes, times have changed. Tamil Nadu has become a more connected and mobile place today.

There is a very strong sense of Indianness in Tamil Nadu, but the vast majority of the Tamil people view no difference between Tamil pride and being a proud Indian.

No one in the state feel that you need to speak Hindi to be an Indian. You can speak only Tamil and still be an Indian, and a citizen of the world.

You mean, the Tamil people do not associate Hindi with Indianness?

No, they do not associate Hindi with Indianness. For them, being a proud Tamil is de facto being a proud Indian.

For the youngsters, while they may not be militantly pro-Tamil, many are still not convinced about learning Hindi in order to progress in life.

Tamil Nadu has done quite well socially compared to all the other states, without learning Hindi...

Absolutely. I feel the 3-language formula is a burden on all our students, not just in Tamil Nadu but entire India.

All of us are not going to be translators when we grow up. Those who want to be a linguist, can do it on your own volition.

If you want to learn Hindi, there are so many Hindi Prachar Sabhas in Tamil Nadu, I am sure in other states as well.

There are so many options today for anyone who want to pursue any language of your choice.

In that case, why should children, who are already burdened with so many subjects, be over-burdened with three languages? And I speak for all Indian children. This is a very ill-conceived policy.

Other non-BJP ruled southern states have extended support to Tamil Nadu by saying they do not agree with the 3-language formula which they feel is a way of imposing Hindi...

Yes, the other states are also feeling the pressure now. When the southern states are doing relatively well compared to the northern states, they feel what has language got to do with progress.

They feel why should learning or not learning Hindi be a criterion for the allocation of funds from the central government to a state.

It makes the states feel that only if they follow the policies the Centre has devised without consulting them would they be given funds. It is not a very good way for the central government, which represents the whole of India, to function.

IMAGE: Dr Karthick Ram Manoharan

The Centre has reportedly told Tamil Nadu that if it does not follow the 3-langugae formula, it will not get funds. Where will this lead to?

If only Tamil Nadu is going to fight against this, it will not have much of an impact at the Delhi level.

But if all the southern states, West Bengal and other non-Hindi speaking states join hands, it will have a decisive impact and the Centre will have to pay attention, and then they will have to roll back the policy.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com