DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi filed a notice of breach of parliamentary privilege on Monday against Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The notice relates to the comments made by Dharmendra Pradhan in Parliament about Tamil Nadu's education system and his stand on the three-language policy.
Which 'one word' sparked the controversy?
The controversy began when Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan allegedly called Tamil Nadu MPs "rude" during a parliamentary discussion. Extremely angry with the comments, Kanimozhi called "rude" an insulting and unparliamentary expression. She argued that such comments are unacceptable, especially when they are directed at elected representatives.
Speaking to the media, Kanimozhi said, "The words used against our CM and our MPs are terrible...' rude' is not a word we can use against any human being in this country. It is the most insulting word that can be used."
She further said, "We have given notice, and I think it will not end here... The BJP is having a problem seeing the development of southern states because they are not able to achieve it." Kanimozhi also expressed dissatisfaction with the way the central government has handled the three-language policy.
What is the three-language controversy?
The three-language policy, which proposes teaching three languages in schools across India, has been a controversial issue, especially in southern states like Tamil Nadu, where English and Tamil have been the preferred languages of instruction. The DMK has been vocal about its opposition to the imposition of Hindi as part of the curriculum, calling it an unnecessary burden for students.
In her statement, Kanimozhi also highlighted the disparity in development between southern and northern states, especially in terms of population control. "Southern India has been carefully following family planning and now we are at the point of punishment. Now, all CMs have started saying that you have increased the population," she said.
He said, "What are we expecting next? ... There are a lot of states in the interiors of northern India with poverty, lack of education, and lack of electricity. We are able to provide quality education, quality food, and quality of life. Now the time has come for the central government to learn to implement it in states that are not using it and penalize them for not using it."
'Tamil Nadu has followed a two-language policy for a long time'
Kanimozhi's remarks come in the wake of growing tension between southern states and the central government over the National Education Policy (NEP). Tamil Nadu has long followed a two-language policy, where Tamil and English are the mediums of instruction.
The DMK leader also raised concerns about the proposed delimitation exercise, which could potentially affect the allocation of parliamentary seats. Kanimozhi said southern states fear a reduction in their representation, while northern states with larger populations may get more seats.
Kanimozhi said, "We had given a notice under Rule 267 to discuss delimitation, which is taking a toll on the southern states of India, which was rejected by the Speaker... We are demanding a healthy discussion on delimitation... We want to know what the standard operating procedure (SOP) is going to be, what the government is going to do."
"We are not against any language... We are saying it is a state subject, so don't get involved in imposing Hindi, which is a language spoken by a section of people in India. We have been following two language policies in Tamil Nadu: English and Tamil. We are good in our education... Our GDP is good.
"All the people of Tamil Nadu have settled abroad. We bring money from outside. Our education system is good. How have we gone wrong?... Why do you want to forcibly introduce a language in the curriculum which is going to be difficult for children?" she said.
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