Stalin slams new NEP as fresh attempt at 'Hindi imposition', vows to fight with like-minded parties

Stepping up his attack against the Centre’s new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, DMK President MK Stalin on Saturday said it was an attempt at “imposition” of Hindi and Sanskrit and vowed to fight against it by joining hands with like-minded political parties and Chief Ministers of other states.

The sweeping reforms were not new education policy but “a glossy coat on the old oppressive Manusmriti,” he alleged. In a letter to his party colleagues, Stalin said the party was committed to the struggle against such policies of the government, and recalled it (also) moving the  Madras High Court on the issue of OBC reservation in All India Quota (AIQ) in medical admissions.

There was an “undeclared emergency” in the country, he said referring to detention of political figures in Jammu and Kashmir among others. On the NEP, he questioned why the “successful” 10+2 system was being replaced with 5+3+3+4 and described the vocational education for children as a “psychological attack” on them.

He further said “with Education placed in the State List, the Centre will assume the remaining rights of the states and take in its control (aspects ranging) from syllabus to university.” “This is an attack on the federal structure being underscored by the Constitution of India,” Stalin said in the letter.

DMK was therefore opposing the NEP and will also join hands with other like-minded political parties and chief ministers on the issue, he added.