Amid the furore in the state against the three-language formula suggested in the National Education Policy draft, AIADMK MLA RT Ramachandran has come out as the lone lawmaker from the ruling government to support the disputed policy.
The Kunnam constituency MLA said that he is not willing to oppose the bill and deceive the people of the state even as his party has taken a different stand.
"Lawmakers, be it the parliament or the assembly, face no impact in opposing Hindi or any other third language for that matter. But students of government schools will be denied an opportunity to learn a new language and that is an injustice we do to them," Ramachandran was quoted as saying in TOI.
The MLA dubbed the politicians' stance against the language policy as a political gimmick for votes. However, he maintained that he is expressing his personal opinion.
Ramachandran said that he cannot oppose Hindi as he had supported his daughter's decision to learn the language in a private school. "While I encourage my daughter to study Hindi and to prepare for the union civil service examination, I cannot oppose Hindi in a public medium as a politician," he added.
He urged the government school students and teachers to express their opinion to accept and learn a third language in the ongoing public hearing meeting for NEP.
Introduction of Hindi in the new three-language formula in the proposed NEP draft has been receiving flak from Tamil Nadu. Politicians, students and even the ruling AIADMK government, which is in coalition with the Centre, had opposed the bill. Huge protests broke out against the BJP government condemning Hindi imposition on Tamils.