Tamil Nadu Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on Friday said that over 90,000 students in Karnataka had failed their board exams due to the “imposition of a language.” He made the remark while addressing students at a school competition, using the platform to criticise the Union government over its language policy and education funding.
The minister said that language learning should be a choice for students. “A third language should be an option, not a compulsion,” he said, highlighting the need for flexibility in education policies.
Taking a direct swipe at the Centre, Anbil Mahesh accused the Union government of withholding vital education funds from high-performing states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala. “The Centre is threatening states by choking education funds. But Chief Minister Stalin has stepped in and assured that the state will bear the full cost,” he added.
Earlier in the day, DMK MP Kanimozhi responded to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s assertion that Hindi is not an enemy of any language by asserting the same for Tamil, urging North Indians to learn South Indian languages.
“If Hindi is not the enemy of any language, then Tamil is also not the enemy of any language. Let them learn Tamil. Let the people of North India learn at least one South Indian language. That is true national integration,” she said.
Shah had recently said that Hindi is not an opponent of any Indian language, but rather a friend to all, and that there should be no opposition to any language in the country.
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