Language row: Don't throw stones at beehive, says MK Stalin after Dharmendra Pradhan's 'politics' comment

Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin

The language row involving the BJP-led Centre and the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu intensified on Friday with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan asking the southern state to rise above politics, while the regional party hit back saying it won’t budge from its 2-language policy and warned against ”throwing stones at beehive.” Pradhan attacked Chief Minister M K Stalin over the implementation of National Education Policy in TN and accused him of ”spinning progressive reforms into threats to sustain political narratives”. The DMK indicated Tamil Nadu was being asked to implement NEP and the 3-language policy involving Hindi in return for its due share of central funds.

Stalin, also DMK president, said he will not permit any activities inimical to Tamil language, the state and its people, on the soil, so long as he and his DMK existed. Alleged Hindi imposition has been a sensitive subject in Tamil Nadu, and the DMK successfully led a massive anti-Hindi agitation in 1965 during which a number of pro-Tamil activists killed themselves, mostly by self-immolation, against imposition of the language.

Main opposition AIADMK also hit out at the Centre over NEP.On Friday, Pradhan wrote to Stalin, asking him to rise above political differences and think about the interests of young learners who will benefit from the new NEP. He was responding to a letter Stalin wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. The CM had said linking two centrally sponsored initiatives — Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and PM SHRI Schools — with the NEP was fundamentally unacceptable. Pradhan said, ”the letter sent to PM is a complete negation of the spirit of cooperative federalism promoted by Modi government.

Hence, it is inappropriate for the state to view NEP 2020 with a myopic vision and spin progressive educational reforms into threats to sustain their political narratives.” Tamil Nadu and the central government have been at loggerheads over the implementation of NEP in the state, with the DMK government accusing the education ministry of stopping funds for crucial schemes. ”The continued opposition to 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,” the minister wrote. On Tamil Nadu’s opposition to the three-language formula, Pradhan clarified that the policy does not advocate the imposition of any language. He said many non-BJP ruled states have implemented NEP despite political differences. Responding, Stalin said Pradhan has replied to the state’s plea for Rs 2,152 crore funds for the education department by asking Tamil Nadu not to do politics in education. ”Who is doing politics in education – you or us? Is the blackmail that fund release only if the trilingual policy was accepted, not politics? Is imposing Hindi in the name of NEP, not politics? Is converting a multi-lingual and plural country into a single-language country and one nation, not politics? Is not converting the funds meant for a scheme as a ’condition’ for implementing another scheme, not politics,” Stalin asked.”I warn the Centre, don’t throw stones at beehive. Don’t aspire to see the unique fighting spirit of the Tamils.

As long as I and the DMK exist, no activities against Tamil, Tamil Nadu, and its people will be allowed to set foot in the state,” he added, addressing a public event in Cuddalore district. Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin asserted the state will only follow the 2-language policy, i.e Tamil and English. Tamil Nadu was seeking only its due share of funds from the Centre from the taxes paid by it, he said. ”We are asking our (share of) funds, about Rs 2150 crore. They (Centre) want us to accept NEP and the 3-language policy. Tamil Nadu has always been opposed to three language policy and it has been made clear the 3-language policy will not be accepted. So what is there to do politics, I don’t understand,” he said.

The political face-off also saw BJP’s state unit launch an online ”GetOutStalin” campaign against the CM. Although BJP TN chief K Annamalai’s initiative was aimed at the overall alleged failures of the DMK government over issues including law and order and women’s safety, the choice of the campaign title seemed to have stemmed from the NEP and language row.Days ago, while flaying the Centre, Udhayanidhi had said TN people will never allow it to ’dump’ NEP and the trilingual policy on them and will launch a ’Get out Modi’ campaign if any attempt is made to snatch their rights.

Annamalai had said he would launch a ”GetOutStalin” campaign in response to that and put out a social media message on Friday morning.He also wanted the government to conduct a survey with school students in the state over their choice of a third language and start appointing teachers accordingly. He also asked the DMK not to do politics in education.