Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya: Education policy draft has been twisted, misinterpreted
Just when Tamil Nadu opposed the National Education Policy (NEP) 2019 Draft which advocates teaching Hindi in a “non-Hindi speaking state,” Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya spoke in favour of the draft saying it has been "twisted, misinterpreted and misunderstood."
Bengaluru: Bharatiya Janata Party Bengaluru South MP, Tejasvi Surya, responded to the controversy surrounding the National Education Policy (NEP) 2019 Draft which bats for Hindi to be taught from pre-school to class 12.
In a series of tweets, Tejasvi Surya said that he is proud of his language, Kannada, and its beauty and contribution to India's culture. However, according to the newly elected MP, few aspects of the NEP Draft have been "twisted, misinterpreted and misunderstood."
While defending the NEP 2019 Draft, Tejasvi Surya said, "The 3-language formula, as is stated in the draft NEP, has been in place since 1968 and has been endorsed in 1986 and 1992 updates of the NEP as well. The current draft of the NEP merely says that this 3-language formula can be continued in schools. The NEP doesn't impose, rather encourages, learning Hindi as a language in school."
In his next tweet, the MP said, "When the NEP is encouraging a child in a non-Hindi state to learn Hindi, it also directs the kid in a Hindi-speaking state to learn a language spoken elsewhere in India like Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali etc. The purpose is national integration and preservation of all languages."
Tejasvi Surya also said that the policy does not set out to impose Hindi on anyone.
Tejasvi Surya said, "Another article within the same chapter clearly indicates that the policy doesn't set out to impose Hindi on anyone. P4.5.1 of the policy deals with the medium of instruction, where it promotes the use of the local language as the medium of instruction until Class 5."
"The policy was drafted keeping in mind that a child will be most comfortable to study in the language that he's accustomed to at home. This, in no way, amounts to Hindi Imposition. It rather encourages the use of the local language over English and Hindi in schools," added Tejasvi Surya.
The National Education Policy 2019 Draft, which was proposed by the Ministry of Human Resources and Development on Friday (May 31), suggests teaching Hindi in non-Hindi speaking states.