Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has slammed politics over language and asserted that the states whose leaders are furthering it are on a gradual decline. The chief minister also said the Uttar Pradesh government was teaching languages such as Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali and Marathi to its students.
“In UP, we are teaching Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali and Marathi, so has UP become smaller due to this? New employment opportunities are being created in UP, jobs are being created. Those who are creating this language controversy due to their narrow political interests, they may fulfill their political motives, but they are in a way attacking the employment of the youth,” Adityanath said in an interview with PTI
In a veiled dig at DMK chief MK Stalin, Adityanath said people who are creating a controversy over language can achieve their political interests, but are in a way dealing a blow to employment opportunities for the youngsters,” the chief minister said.
“Whosoever they are, they are doing it. This is the reason those states are on a gradual decline,” Adityanath said when asked if he was referring to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin.
Yogu’s remarks come in the wake of the ongoing clash between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled Centre and DMK-ruled Tamil Nadu is the ‘three-language formula’ that is a part of the New Education Policy (NEP) of 2020.
While the BJP has maintained that this policy would ensure that youth get employment across regions, Tamil Nadu has accused the Centre if trying to impose Hindi on the state.
Adityanath said languages such as Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali or Marathi can become the cornerstone of national unity. He said said everyone believes that Hindi should be respected, but India has adopted the three-language formula.
“This three-language formula ensures that regional languages also get the same respect. Every language has its own speciality which becomes the cornerstone of national unity,” Adityanath said.
He said every regional language has its folk traditions and stories that bring out the nation’s diversity and strengthen it. Adityanath said the Kashi Tamil Sangamam initiative is the best example of this as it brings together India’s oldest languages Tamil and Sanskrit.
Where is the data, asks Congress
Congress leader Karti Chidambaram of the Congress was quick to respond and asked the Uttar Pradesh chief minister to share the details of how many teachers were teaching Tamil in UP schools.
“Will the UP government give details of how many teachers there are in their schools to impart lessons in Tamil? How many students have enrolled for Tamil as a language option? There is no reason for students in Tamil Nadu to compulsorily learn Hindi,” Chidambaram, the Congress MP said in post on X, formerly Twitter with #HindiImposition hashtag.
Congress is DMK’s ally in Tamil Nadu.
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