{"id":355627,"date":"2025-08-09T14:23:26","date_gmt":"2025-08-09T08:53:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/?p=355627"},"modified":"2025-08-09T14:23:26","modified_gmt":"2025-08-09T08:53:26","slug":"after-tamil-nadu-karnataka-also-shuns-centres-nep-hindi-imposition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/after-tamil-nadu-karnataka-also-shuns-centres-nep-hindi-imposition\/","title":{"rendered":"After Tamil Nadu, Karnataka also shuns Centre’s NEP, ‘Hindi imposition’ \u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hindi ‘imposition’ : Apart from preserving unique character of respective states through state-specific policies, political parties also have objections to Hindi as the third language. From arguments like \u201ccultural imposition\u201d, \u201cundermining India\u2019s unity\u201d, \u201cthreat to regional languages\u201d and \u201cgoing against educational principles of mother-tongue instruction\u201d, there are many objections to NEP\u2019s three-language policy,\u00a0n which\u00a0 Hindi is the third language, English and regional language being the other two\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Karnataka State Education Policy Commission, headed by economist and former UGC Chairman Prof Sukhadeo Thorat, on Friday submitted a report to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, recommending\u00a0several reforms in school and higher education in mind Karnataka\u2019s socio-cultural, linguistic and economic realities, according to reports<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moving away from the Centre’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020,\u00a0Karnataka plan is to localise curriculum by developing a Comprehensive Curriculum for School Education (CCSE), It includes many proposals like replacing the NEP\u2019s 5+3+3+4 model with a 2+8+4 framework. Significantly it also introduces a two-language education policy where Kannada or the mother tongue is taught alongside English, reflective of Siddaramaiah\u2019s objection to three-language policy which he calls “Hindi imposition”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notably, on Thursday Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin also released the State Education Policy (SEP), asserting that it was designed to reflect the \u201cunique character\u201d of the state and reiterating his government\u2019s firm opposition to the Centre\u2019s NEP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stalin said that the state will strictly adhere to its long-standing two-language policy. “Through this education policy, we don’t want students just to mug up, but think and get educated. Physical education will be taught along with studies. Importantly, I want to say firmly that we will follow a two-language policy and it is our firm policy,” Stalin was quoted as saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maharashtra recently saw MNS supremo Raj Thackeray and estranged cousin Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena UBT) reuniting after 20 years at a public rally for an event called \u2018Awaj Marathicha\u2019\u2014the Voice of the Marathi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event was organised by Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS to mark the withdrawal of government resolutions related to the three-language policy in primary schools. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The BJP-led state government\u2019s attempt to make Hindi compulsory from Class I sparked protests. The policy was ultimately rescinded, with a committee now reviewing the matter<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arguments against Hindi<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From arguments like \u201ccultural imposition\u201d, \u201cundermining India\u2019s unity\u201d, \u201cthreat to regional languages\u201d and \u201cgoing against educational principles of mother-tongue instruction\u201d, there are many objections to NEP\u2019s three-language policy in which  Hindi is the third language, English and regional language being the other two    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Language is a strong marker of identity and any perceived threat can trigger strong emotional responses, thereby making it a great political tool. Stalin has always been a critic of the NEP 2020, especially the section that recommends that students learn three languages, calling it imposition of Hindi<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, resistance in Tamil Nadu was first recorded around the 1937\u20131940 agitation, when attempts were made to introduce Hindi in schools. Leaders like Periyar, and now Stalin,  opposed such moves, calling them \u201cdivisive and undermining India\u2019s unity\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

West Bengal has also witnessed protests against policies aiming to mandate a specific quota of communication in Hindi. In Northeast, states like Manipur, Mizoram have recorded protests from local groups and student leaders against inclusion of Hindi in education, arguing it \u201cthreatens\u201d regional languages and \u201cgoes against basic principles of education in mother-tongue instruction\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hindi ‘imposition’ : Apart from preserving unique character of respective states through state-specific policies, political parties also have objections to Hindi as the third language. From arguments like \u201ccultural imposition\u201d, \u201cundermining India\u2019s unity\u201d, \u201cthreat to regional languages\u201d and \u201cgoing against educational principles of mother-tongue instruction\u201d, there are many objections to NEP\u2019s three-language policy,\u00a0n which\u00a0 Hindi […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":187,"featured_media":326613,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2070,2100,2930,2929,36,2030,14014],"tags":[18186,16457,17173,16987],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355627"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/users\/187"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=355627"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355627\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":355628,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355627\/revisions\/355628"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/media\/326613"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=355627"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=355627"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=355627"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}