BHUBANESWAR : With Tamil Nadu government refusing to compromise on its stand on the New Education Policy (NEP), Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday said the opposition to the three-language policy was purely political.
In a free-wheeling talk with editorial director of The Sunday Standard at the 11th edition of Odisha Literary Festival (OLF) here, Pradhan said the sole objective of the NEP is to promote all local languages. The Centre has taken a decentralised approach so far as language is concerned.
“I think opposition to a particular language in a state is political. If Tamil Nadu is opposing the NEP, it is for political reasons. The entire political community of Tamil Nadu is of the opinion that the teaching methodology should be in Tamil language. In my view, the opposition is for political reasons but there is unanimity at the ground-level that there should be a scientific temper for the student and language should not be a barrier,” the minister said.
On the three-language policy, Pradhan said one should not confuse about making a choice. There is no barrier for choosing Tamil as method of learning, he maintained.
On the need for a common communicative mechanism at pan-India level, the Union minister asserted, “There should not be a single language for the country. All languages of the country are national since one cannot impose a language on anybody.”
He said technology is a great enabler to understand even foreign languages and there should not be any opposition to learn other languages.
Refuting the allegations that NEP is dividing the nation, the minister said any sensible person should not talk of division in any aspect of religion, language, region or geography.
“We have to create a united force with united spirit. I think now there is a movement in our country. We may have difference of opinions on political issues but the country is united for the well-being of the humanity,” Pradhan added.
On the criticism of the inviting foreign universities to set up campus in India, the Union Education minister asked if it was wrong when 10 lakh students are going abroad every year for higher studies. “Should we not give an opportunity to the students of India to gain best knowledge of the world. It is wrong to think that we will be influenced by foreign institutes imparting education here,” Pradhan said.
Dismissing allegations that attempts are made by the Narendra Modi government to impose the ideology of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on institutions by drafting in people who owe allegiance to the Sangh Parivar, Pradhan said there is no bar in the Constitution that RSS people should not head any organisation. He, however, said all appointments are being made solely on the basis of merit and there was no place for ideological leanings in them.
‘LANGUAGE NO BARRIER’
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said opposition to a particular language in a state is political. “If Tamil Nadu is opposing the National Education Policy, it is for political reasons. The entire political community of Tamil Nadu is of the opinion that the teaching methodology should be in Tamil language. In my view, the opposition is for political reasons, but there is unanimity at the ground-level that there should be a scientific temper for the student and language should not be a barrier,” the minister said.