Minister for Higher Education K. Ponmudy on Wednesday reiterated that the two-language policy was effective in Tamil Nadu and there was no need to impose Hindi.
The Minister was speaking at the inauguration of the poet Tamil Oli Memorial Trust organised by the Tamil Department of the University of Madras and poet Tamil Oli Centenary Committee.
It was important to learn Tamil and English and Hindi should not be imposed. “This is what our leader C.N. Annadurai said which has been followed by M. Karunanidhi and our Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. Those who wish to learn Hindi are certainly free to do so but it cannot be forced here,” he said.
The government had given prime importance for Tamil and taken several steps to promote the language. The government had taken steps to build houses for Tamil scholars and writers too, he said. “Those learning Tamil would be given priority during employment. No one can dispute the work done for the growth of Tamil in the last 20 months. Tamil teachers and those who want to learn the language should be motivated and encouraged,” he said.
Poet Tamil Oli’s works should be read widely by everyone and one of his works will certainly find a place in curriculum for students, Mr. Ponmudy said. “His contribution to Tamil literature is immense. He wrote about the labourers, Dravidian policies and Periyar thoughts and opinions,” he said.
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Madras S. Gowri and assistant professor at Basheer Ahmed Syed College for Women Parveen Sultana spoke.
