Struggle to ‘defeat Hindi imposition' transcended state boundaries: MK Stalin after Thackeray rally
His statement came hours after a ' victory rally ' held in Maharashtra by Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) chief Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin Raj Thackeray, president of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, to mark the state government's rollback of the policy to teach Hindi as a third language in primary schools.
'The language rights struggle, waged generation after generation by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the people of Tamil Nadu to defeat Hindi imposition, has now transcended state boundaries and is swirling like a storm of protest in Maharashtra,' Stalin wrote in a social media post.
Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party of acting 'lawlessly and anarchically', the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief said the Maharashtra government was forced to withdraw the policy due to fear of the 'people's uprising'.
The BJP is part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra. It also comprises the Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction and the Nationalist Congress Party group led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
'The enthusiasm and powerful oratory of the victory rally held today in Mumbai under the leadership of brother Uddhav Thackeray against Hindi imposition fills us with immense excitement,' said Stalin.
He added that the Union government, which he claimed prioritises the promotion of Hindi and Sanskrit, does not have answers to Raj Thackeray's questions about the third language being taught in schools of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray had announced the joint rally on June 27 to protest against the Maharashtra government's proposal to teach Hindi as the third language to students from Class 1 to Class 5 in Marathi and English medium schools.
However, on June 29, the state government withdrew its resolution. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also announced that a new committee had been formed to advise the state on implementing the National Education Policy's three-language formula.
Following this, the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena decided to hold a joint 'victory rally'.
Stalin said on Saturday that the 'uprising in Maharashtra will open' the eyes of those who are 'unaware of the history of numerous Indian languages being destroyed due to Hindi imposition'.
'Won't allow discrimination against Tamil Nadu'
The Tamil Nadu chief minister also once again criticised the Union government for withholding funds under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme for the financial year 2024-'25 to Tamil Nadu.
'We will not allow the discrimination in fund allocation for Tamil Nadu,' said Stalin.
The Samagra Shiksha scheme, implemented in 2018, is the scheme through which the Union government provides support for elementary and secondary school education.
It resulted from the merger of three schemes: Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan for universal elementary education, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan for secondary and higher secondary schools and Teacher Training Education such as the District Institutes of Education and Training.
In April, the Union education ministry had told the Rajya Sabha that Tamil Nadu, Kerala and West Bengal received no funds under the central education scheme for 2024-'25.
Data shared in the Upper House by Minister of State for Education Jayant Choudhary showed that while Kerala was allocated Rs 328.90 crore, Tamil Nadu Rs 2,151.60 crore and West Bengal Rs 1,745.80 crore from the Centre for the current fiscal year under the scheme, no funds had been released to these states as of March 27.
Choudhary said that funds under the scheme, which is used for educational components like textbooks, infrastructure upgrades and teacher salaries, were released to states and Union territories based on several criteria.
The halt in funding to Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal comes against the backdrop of these states refusing to comply with the PM Schools for Rising India, or PM SHRI, scheme.
The centrally-sponsored scheme aims to upgrade the infrastructure of schools managed by central, state or regional bodies. However, to avail the scheme's benefits, state governments must first sign a memorandum of understanding with the Centre to implement the 2020 National Education Policy.
The 2020 National Education Policy proposes major changes to the curricular structure for school education, claims to promote flexibility in choosing academic streams and emphasises on using the mother tongue as a key medium of instruction in primary school, among other measures.
The policy has been criticised by sections of the academic community, for encouraging the privatisation of public institutions. It was also criticised for creating numerous 'exit' options for students, which opponents said would encourage dropouts.
Tamil Nadu has repeatedly expressed opposition to the three-language formula in the National Education Policy. The state government said it will not change its decades-old two-language policy of teaching students Tamil and English.
The three-language formula refers to teaching students English, Hindi and the native language of a state. It was introduced in the first National Education Policy in 1968 and was retained in the new policy introduced in 2020.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
29 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Edappadi Palaniswami has become the original voice of BJP: Tamil Nadu CM Stalin
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Thursday criticised the AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami for opposing the establishment of schools and colleges under the Department of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) in the State and accused him of becoming the 'original voice' of the BJP. Speaking at a government function in Tiruvarur to mark the distribution of welfare assistance and inauguration of development projects in the district, he said there were legal provisions for establishing educational institutions under the HR and CE Act. 'Former Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran had opened the Palaniandavar Polytechnic College. And, you (Mr. Palaniswami) had opened additional buildings for the college during your last tenure. Is it wrong if we open colleges now?' he asked. Mr. Palaniswami, who was the 'dubbing voice' of the BJP earlier, has now become its 'original voice', Mr. Stalin said, adding that: 'Even BJP leaders are not saying that colleges (of the HR and CE Department) should not be opened.' Mr. Stalin wondered why the Leader of the Opposition was opposed to education and whether he would raise his voice against Governor R.N. Ravi for delaying assent to the Bill proposing the establishment of the Kalaignar University in Kumbakonam. 'Irrespective of whether he questions the Union government or not, we will face the issue legally and establish the university,' he asserted. Taking a dig at Mr. Palaniswami's State-wide 'Makkalai Kaapom, Tamizhagathai Meetpom' roadshow, Mr. Stalin charged that the AIADMK leader had hitched the party to a group that is against calling the State 'Tamil Nadu'. Accusing Mr. Palaniswami of betraying the interests of his own party, Tamil Nadu, and Tamils, Mr. Stalin said the DMK had already retrieved the State from his misrule. 'We have set right the ills, and today, Tamil Nadu's growth rate of 9.69% is the highest in the country, even as per the Union government's own admission. The Centre could neither hide nor deny this,' he asserted. This was despite the Union government denying funds to Tamil Nadu. 'Even our share of the Goods and Services Tax is not being given properly. There are no special schemes, and we have been denied funds meant for school education.' 'The Union government was refusing to publish the Keeladi excavation report to cover up the greatness of Tamils. On top of these are issues such as delimitation and the imbroglio over electoral rolls now. How could you unabashedly join hands with those who have deprived Tamil Nadu of all its rights?' Mr. Stalin asked Mr. Palaniswami. Given Mr. Palaniswami's 'track record', the people of the State will not be deceived by his campaign, Mr. Stalin said and called upon the people to stand united with him in the 'Oraniyil Tamil Nadu' campaign [of the DMK] to protect the interests of the State. Earlier in the day, Mr. Stalin participated in a membership enrolment campaign of the DMK and visited a few houses on Sannadhi Street and nearby areas in Tiruvarur town to enlist new members. He also inspected a Social Justice Hostel for college students at Kidarankondan.
Hindustan Times
41 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Punjab minister: BJP patronising gangster Lawrence Bishnoi
Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Thursday blamed the BJP for patronising gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who is lodged in Sabarmati Jail of Ahmedabad since 2014. Punjab finance minister interacting with the media after the adjournment of the first sitting of the two-day special session of the Punjab assembly in Chandigarh on Thursday. (Ravi Kumar/HT) 'The recent murder of a businessman in Abohar was carried out by Bishnoi, who is in Gujarat jail. It is sad that he is targeting Punjab sitting in Gujarat,' Cheema told mediapersons after the adjournment of the first sitting of the two-day special session of the Punjab assembly. 'The BJP is protecting gangsters, and he (Bishnoi) is lodged in a jail in Gujarat, the state from which Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union home Amit Shah come. Why does the BJP protect him? The gangster is executing targeted killings in non-BJP ruled states. Why is he not sent to other states, where he has murdered people? We will now try to bring him to Punjab on a production warrant,' the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said. Bishnoi is the mastermind behind the killing of popular Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala three years ago and he has been issuing threats to actor Salman Khan. He is also allegedly behind last year's killing of NCP leader Baba Siddique in Mumbai. Commenting on the murder of businessman Sanjay Verma in Abohar on July 7 and the delay in arresting the three assailants, Cheema said: 'We will not allow anyone to vitiate the law and order situation. We will deal with anti-social elements with an iron fist.' 'Bishnoi takes responsibility for every murder sitting inside jail. What does this mean and why is he kept in Gujarat jail?' he said, demanding a reply from the Centre. He blamed the Congress for sheltering gangsters like Mukhtar Ansari while it was in power. The notorious gangster from Uttar Pradesh was brought to a jail in Punjab and given VIP facilities, Cheema said. Police records show the support of Shiromani Akali Dal leaders to anti-social elements, Cheema claimed, describing the opposition party as 'the root cause of the drug mafia in Punjab'. 'The opposition parties have patronised gangsters and the AAP government is cleaning the rot,' he added.
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Dharmendra Pradhan opens VCs' meet to review NEP 2020 implementation
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday inaugurated a two-day Vice Chancellors' Conference in Kevadia, Gujarat, bringing together over 50 heads of central universities to evaluate the progress and strategise the next phase of implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) conference, jointly organised by the Ministry of Education and the Central University of Gujarat, marks five years since the rollout of NEP 2020 and serves as a platform to align institutions with the national vision of Viksit Bharat by the inaugural session, Shri Pradhan underscored the transformation in India's higher education landscape over the last decade. He highlighted the rise in total enrolments to 4.46 crore—a 30% growth since 2014–15—along with significant progress in inclusivity, particularly the 38% rise in female enrolment and the increase in GER among SC and ST communities. Notably, the GER for women has now surpassed that of men, and the number of PhD scholars, especially women, has seen a steep climb. The Minister laid out the Panch Sankalp—five guiding principles of NEP 2020—as the roadmap for university leadership: Next-gen emerging education, Multidisciplinary education, Innovative education, Holistic learning, and Bharatiya Knowledge Systems. These, he said, must be integrated into campus practices to foster a culturally rooted yet globally relevant education a 'students-first' approach, Shri Pradhan called on Vice Chancellors to shape institutions that prioritise student growth, skilling, and innovation. "Students are the core strength of our nation. We must prepare them to be not only job seekers but job creators, social entrepreneurs, and ethical innovators," he minister reiterated the government's goal of increasing the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education to 50% by 2035. He stressed the need for universities to reform curricula, enhance digital infrastructure, invest in faculty training, and encourage multidisciplinary integration to meet this target. To this end, he urged every university to prepare a strategic roadmap for implementing NEP 2020 in full PAPER AND INSTITUTIONAL ROADMAPSEach university has been asked to prepare a strategy paper outlining steps for achieving NEP goals, including subject integration, promotion of the Indian Knowledge System (IKS), and skilling through tech-based education. Universities are also encouraged to host similar internal conferences to drive awareness and alignment on of the Central University of Gujarat, Dr. Hasmukh Adhia, elaborated on the "Six Principles" of Karmayoga and emphasised the value of traditional Indian knowledge systems in shaping individuals and society. He urged institutional heads to apply these values to everyday functioning and Vineet Joshi, Secretary of Higher Education, called the conference a timely opportunity to reflect on achievements and refine future strategies. He said NEP 2020 is a vision rooted in accessibility, equity, affordability, quality, and accountability, and aims to position universities as ecosystems for innovation and critical thinking—not merely degree-granting Secretary Dr. Sunil Barnwal highlighted the foundational pillars of NEP 2020 and the importance of collaborative partnerships among stakeholders in advancing reform DISCUSSION THEMESAcross the two-day conference, ten thematic sessions will delve into core issues aligned with NEP objectives. Topics include:Implementation of National Higher Education Qualifications Framework (NHEQF)Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP)Preparing students for the 'Future of Work'Advancing digital learning through platforms like SWAYAM and AAPAREnhancing university governance through SAMARTHEquity and inclusion in higher educationEducation in Indian languages and knowledge systemsResearch and innovation support via ANRF, PMRF, and Centres of ExcellenceInternationalisation and "Study in India" initiativeFaculty development through the Malaviya MissionParticipating universities include premier institutions such as Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, University of Allahabad, Central University of Kashmir, Central University of Haryana, and Visva-Bharati, among VIKSIT BHARAT BY 2047As the conference sets the tone for the next phase of NEP 2020 implementation, it seeks to generate actionable insights, promote knowledge exchange, and build strategic alignment among India's leading universities. With a shared vision for 2047, the deliberations are expected to play a crucial role in shaping the future of Indian higher education, grounded in innovation, inclusivity, and cultural pride.(With PIB inputs)- EndsMust Watch
