CHENNAI: Taking exception to the remark of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan that Tamil Nadu would be losing Rs 5,000 crore if it fails to accept the PM-Shri Scheme, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday said, “Refusing to release the Samagra Shiksha (SS) funds and pressurising the state government to accept the NEP will be treated as a betrayal of students, teachers and the public in TN.”
Stating the remark of the union minister shocked and angered the people of Tamil Nadu, Palaniswami said the AIADMK is firm on a two-language policy and the Centre should give up its efforts to impose three-language policy in Tamil Nadu.
The AIADMK leader, in a statement here, said the Central government should consider the interests of the people, hold a detailed consultation with the state government and arrive at a cordial decision. This attitude of the Central government has instilled fear among the people of Tamil Nadu about the future of the children and has caused resentment and frustration against the Centre.
“The Centre should release the funds for programmes like SSA immediately without any conditions. I request the DMK government to avoid engaging itself in useless arguments and constructively consult the Central government to decide on the welfare of the people. The DMK should also keep in mind the fact that the people of Tamil Nadu have elected 39 MPs only to debate such issues in Parliament,” Palaniswami added.
“Till this day, the two-language policy - mother tongue Tamil and link language English - is being followed in Tamil Nadu. Because of this wise decision, the students of Tamil Nadu are on top at the global level. Besides, depending on their needs, they learn the languages of other states as well as countries. Hence, at this juncture, the three-language policy is unnecessary for Tamil Nadu,” he added.
Palaniswami said these schemes are being implemented to achieve specific targets in various sectors. “TN has achieved many targets in education with the existing policies. Against this backdrop, the previous AIADMK government and the present government have pointed out why the NEP cannot be accepted,” he added.