Language of unity: on rejection of the three-language formula

By declining the three-language formula promoted in the National Education Policy (NEP 2020), Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami has just restated the State’s steadfast position on an emotive and political issue. Its two-language policy, implemented years back after a historic agitation versus the imposition of Hindi, remains non-negotiable for nearly the entire political class. Opposition from the State had in 2015 required the Centre to modify the draft NEP and withdraw a proposal to teach Hindi as a 3rd language in schools in non-Hindi speaking States. Yet in the NEP, authorized by the Union Cabinet recently, it picked to promote the three-language formula, product packaging it as a way to promote multilingualism and “national unity”. Though the policy stated that no language will be troubled any State, it has expectedly cut no ice with parties in Tamil Nadu, which have actually increased in near unison to oppose the proposal. Mr. Palaniswami, pointing out “collective beliefs” of the people, noted that the proposition was “saddening and agonizing” and appealed to the Prime Minister to permit States to follow their own