Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 31: DMK leader TKS Elangovan launched a strong attack on the BJP-led central government over the New Education Policy (NEP), alleging that it aims to keep the people of India as “Shudras.”
Elangovan accused the BJP government of attempting to dismantle the Macaulay system of education, which he claimed has produced renowned students and scientists from India. He alleged that the government is trying to introduce a Vedic education system without any scientific foundation.
“They want to destroy the Macaulay education system, which has produced excellent students and scientists. Across the world, Indian citizens are leading organizations. The education system in Tamil Nadu is the best in India. But they want to replace it with a Vedic system that lacks scientific basis. Their aim is to keep people as Shudras, following the ideology of the RSS, which the BJP government adheres to. Language is a secondary issue; they are violating constitutional principles. Let them implement the New Education Policy in Central Board (CBSE) schools, and there won’t be any students left. Students will prefer the State Board,” Elangovan told ANI.
His remarks follow Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ statement defending NEP, calling it the “Indianisation” of the education system.
“I believe the New Education Policy is a step toward Indianisation of our education system,” Fadnavis said in Nagpur.
Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi had earlier criticized the NEP, accusing the central government of pushing its agenda of “centralization, commercialization, and communalization” in an article in The Hindu.
Responding to Sonia Gandhi’s criticism, Fadnavis asserted that she should gain more knowledge about the policy and support the “Indianisation” of education.
“If the education policy introduced by Macaulay to enslave our country is replaced, no one should have a problem with that. Any patriot will support it. I believe Sonia Gandhi ji should learn more and fully support the Indianisation of India’s education system,” Fadnavis added.
The Tamil Nadu government, led by Chief Minister MK Stalin, remains opposed to the three-language formula proposed in NEP 2020 and the ongoing delimitation exercise.