While Tamil Nadu is witnessing another round of heated discussions on the issue of “Hindi imposition,” against the backdrop of the recent National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, what is generally overlooked is that the State has been exempted by the Central government from the enforcement of the Official Languages Act, 1963.
Rule 1 (ii) of the Official Languages (Use for Official Purpose of the Union) Rules, 1976, is quite clear. It states: “They [the Rules] shall extend to the whole of India, except the State of Tamil Nadu.” The Act is essentially meant for promoting the use of Hindi as the official language, even as it also allows the use of English for official purposes.
Referring to this aspect of the Rules, S. Semmalai, former Education Minister and AIADMK veteran legislator, points out that the State government’s two-language policy draws strength also from the scheme of the Central government itself. “As a result, no pressure can be and should be exerted on our government to change our two-language formula,” he emphasises.
Recalling a “historic resolution” adopted by the Assembly in January 1968, when C.N. Annadurai was Chief Minister, Mr. Semmalai says the motion had regarded the emphasis on the implementation of three-language formula as a form of “Hindi imposition.” This has been the position of successive governments including the incumbent Edappadi K. Palaniswami government.
To strengthen the case of Tamil Nadu, the legislator reiterates the demand for inclusion of English in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution on the grounds that the language can be called the mother tongue of Anglo Indians. He also wants all the languages listed in the Schedule to be declared as official languages of the country, a demand “strongly articulated” by former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa several times, he feels.
On the BJP’s stand on the language issue and the NEP 2020, its State vice president Vanathi Srinivasan, clarifies that the Central government “does not believe in Hindi imposition,” as otherwise it could have amended the Rules. At the same time, the Centre is “appealing” to the State government to take into account recent developments in education and consider changing its policy, as “the State government is a stakeholder in the field.” It is for this reason that “we, as the State unit, are requesting the Chief Minister to revisit his stand,” she says. Besides, there is “nothing wrong” in seeking to create awareness among people and political parties about the need for introducing changes in the language policy, she adds.
