Language row: BJP starts counter-campaign in Tamil Nadu

To promote the three-language policy, the Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a signature campaign on Wednesday, emphasisng the educational advantages of adopting the system. This initiative comes in response to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's (DMK) staunch opposition to the inclusion of Hindi in the state's curriculum.​

Senior BJP figures, including Tamilisai Soundararajan, Pon Radhakrishnan, state party chief K Annamalai, H Raja, and Narayanan Tirupati, inaugurated the campaign by signing a board emblazoned with the slogan "Samakkalvi Engal Urimai," translating to "Equal Education is Our Right." The party asserts that introducing a third language will empower Tamil Nadu's youth, providing them with broader opportunities in higher education and employment.​

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BJP state president K Annamalai said the campaign transcends political motives, positioning it as a social endeavour to benefit the state's students. He remarked, "This is not a political competition. We respect the feelings of Tamil Nadu people. They are interested in learning a third language; we should facilitate and enable that." ​

Annamalai also addressed concerns regarding the DMK's portrayal of the three-language policy as an imposition of Hindi. He criticized the ruling party for allegedly misleading the public on issues such as Lok Sabha seat delimitation, stating that the BJP aims to ensure that no state is unfairly affected by the process. ​

Former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan echoed similar sentiments, highlighting disparities in the implementation of language policies across different types of schools. She pointed out that private schools in Tamil Nadu often follow the three-language system, while government schools adhere to a two-language policy. Soundararajan questioned this inconsistency, advocating for equal opportunities for all students to learn an additional language, thereby enhancing their prospects in the job market and higher education. ​

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