Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin released the state education policy, opposing the Center's National Education Policy. He demanded that education be re-included in the state list and accused the center of imposing Hindi.
Tamilnadu: Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, on Friday, made a significant statement regarding the rights of the Center and the state in the field of education, on the occasion of the release of the state's new State Education Policy (SEP). He demanded that education be removed from the Center's Concurrent List and brought back to the State List.
Udhayanidhi said that the excessive control of the Center over the state's education system is inappropriate and hinders the independence of the states' education policies. He clarified that the government of Tamil Nadu will not implement the National Education Policy (NEP) implemented by the Center at any cost.
"Education was previously in the State List, it should be brought back"
Speaking at a program held at the Anna Centenary Library Auditorium in Chennai, Stalin said, "Education was previously a subject of the State List, but was later included in the Concurrent List. We must bring it back to the State List so that states have the freedom to determine their education system."
He further said that a state like Tamil Nadu, with a tradition of social justice and inclusive education policy, cannot be given the same policy as the Center. He alleged that the Center is trying to weaken the cultural and linguistic identity of the states through education.
Praise for Chief Minister MK Stalin
Udhayanidhi Stalin praised the state's Chief Minister MK Stalin, saying that he rejected the NEP with courage and determination and presented an alternative state education policy. He described it as a "celebration of knowledge" for Tamil Nadu.
He said that today, when the Chief Minister presented the state's education policy, it is not only a policy but also an important step from a historical and cultural point of view. He described it as an effort to revive the tradition of knowledge of the Tamil community.
Opposition to NEP: "Hindi and the Three-Language Policy Should Not Be Imposed on Us"
The Tamil Nadu government has long opposed the NEP and the three-language policy. Udhayanidhi said that the central government is trying to impose Hindi on the states through this policy. He said that Tamil Nadu has always supported the two-language policy (Tamil and English) and will continue to adhere to it.
He also claimed that the central government had threatened the state that if it did not implement the NEP and the three-language policy, financial assistance would not be given from the center. However, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu rejected this pressure and decided to stick to the state's education policy.
Effort to Reiterate "Kula Kalvi Thittam"
Udhayanidhi Stalin compared the Center's policies to the earlier controversial "Kula Kalvi Thittam" (Caste-based Education System), which was bly opposed by leaders like Periyar. He said that the Center now wants to impose the same kind of system again through the new education policy.
He said that under the leadership of Periyar, the Tamil society united and protested at that time, and eventually that scheme was withdrawn. Even today, the people of Tamil Nadu are united to protect their rights and the freedom of the education system.
