Why does not North India learn Malayalam or Tamil?: Shashi Tharoor on three-language row

A controversy broke out all over India, especially in most parts of Tamil Nadu, with political leaders from across party lines strongly opposing the alleged 'Hindi imposition' by the newly sworn-in government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Amid this widespread controversy over the new Draft Education Policy, recommending a three-language formula comprising Hindi, English and one regional language, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor pitched for a better implementation of the same.

Basically, the Thiruvananthapuram MP was of the opinion that if students in South India are learning Hindi as their second language then schools in North India should also include Malayalam or Tamil in their syllabus.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Tharoor said, "The solution is not to abandon the three languages formula but to implement it in a batter manner".

READ | Three-language row | Amid protests, Centre clarifies: 'Hindi will not be imposed' in schools

The Congress leader also claimed that the three-language formula, which goes back to mid-1960s, was never implemented properly in the country. "Most of us in the South learn Hindi as a second language but nobody in the North is learning Malayalam or Tamil," he argued.

The draft National Education Policy 2019, prepared by a panel led by eminent scientist K Kasturirangan, refers to the inclusion of English and Hindi besides mother tongue in non-Hindi speaking states and wants the Hindi speaking states to include English, Hindi and one Indian language from other parts of India.

The formula, which was unveiled on Friday, triggered a massive controversy in several parts of India, especially in Tamil Nadu as regional parties, including the main opposition DMK, warned of a language war on the issue.