Hyderabad: 

He said primary education is a state subject. "It is up to them to decide which languages to teach students, along with their mother tongue," said Prof Narayandas. He said, "Several developed countries have made changes in the language of instruction for students and we too must think beyond the three-language formula". A Padma Shri awardee, Prof Narayandas has worked as a professor in various universities. He started the Language Research and Publication Centre in Baroda and has written and edited more than 90 books. Prof Narayandas who has extensively studied various indigenous languages through the People's Linguistic Survey of India, shared his views

The three-language principle may have been appropriate six decades back but in the present times, when migration and urbanisation have increased across the country, it is essential to prioritise teaching in multiple languages, said Prof Ganesh Narayandas (GN Devy), a renowned linguist and Chairman of the People's Linguistic Survey of India.

'Let’s follow the path of developed countries'

"In the past, developed countries implemented a policy where students had to study Latin and European languages along with their own language. Now, they are coming out of such policies. We should also align with the modern society. The three-language policy should not be forced on all states. States should have the freedom to choose their own path," he said

'Three-language policy should be reviewed'

On the three-language principle proposed by the Centre in the new education policy, he said it needs to be reviewed. "The situation was different in the 1960s when the three-language formula was brought in. At that time, the decision to teach English and Hindi along with the mother tongue was good because literacy levels were low. Children mostly studied in their mother tongue. Now, literacy has improved greatly. In non-tribal areas, it has crossed 80 percent. Given this, our outlook on language education also needs to change".

'Innovating methods of teaching need of the hour'

He added that with advancements in technology, instant translation and digital tools have become available to students and the public. "So, language difficulties have reduced compared to the 1960s. Changes like migration, urbanisation, rising literacy, population decline in some states, and extraordinary growth in others have all occurred. In this context, we must rethink whether it is necessary to impose the burden of three languages on students," he said.

He said the rate of inter-state migration has increased multiple times compared to 1960. "About 35% of people are migrating from one state to another or within the state in search of livelihoods. Cities and towns have become multilingual due to this. Around 50% of classrooms now have students who speak different languages. In this context, instead of the three-language formula, we need innovative methods of teaching. There should be a system that allows the same kind of education in multiple languages. Odisha and Chhattisgarh are already implementing this system. It is not a huge financial burden. The Centre is already spending huge amounts on social responsibility programs for school dropouts and those who lack proper education and job opportunities. Compared to that, the cost of multilingual education is much lower," Prof Narayandas explained.

Delimitation and implementation of languages in NEP

He said the Centre is now saying the three-language formula should be implemented under the new education policy. "But at the same time, it claims it does not want to destroy the language of any state and gives Tamil Nadu the option to choose any three languages. Looking at this, it may appear that the Centre is acting generously. But there are other hidden aspects to consider", he said

The language expert said Tamil Nadu is accusing the Centre of blackmailing it to implement a third language in primary education. "They are questioning where the funds will come from. They say the Centre has, in the past, withheld funds and grants for not implementing the three-language policy. Tamil Nadu argues that Hindi is killing 55 other languages that are sub-languages of Hindi in the North. They are also concerned that the cultural heritage of languages like Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Marathi, and others is being damaged," he said.

On the reason some states, including Tamil Nadu are strongly opposing the three language policy, he said it is due to delimitation and the implementation of languages in the new education policy. "Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, these states are raising concerns. Delimitation has an adverse effect on many states. The Constitution says there should be equal representation in legislatures. But this equal representation should not be based merely on numbers. States that reduced their population by successfully implementing programmes like health, education, and family planning should not be punished. Delimitation should be done carefully while safeguarding the federal structure. After all, doesn’t the Constitution say that India is a 'Union of States'?," he asked

He said the three-language principle proposed in the new education policy introduced in the name of national integration. "The idea is that students study Hindi and English along with their mother tongue. For those whose mother tongue is Hindi, one of the southern languages, or Sanskrit, or a foreign language can be chosen. English is compulsory. This is only a suggestive formula. It was not made into law but decided jointly," he said. Primary and secondary education fall entirely within the purview of the states. They have complete freedom in this matter. That is why Tamil Nadu teaches English as the second language along with its mother tongue, Tamil. They do not bother about the third language, the linguist said.

'Hindi a political agenda of BJP'

On southern states ignoring their mother tongues, he said, "Internationally, it is a proven fact that teaching primary education in the mother tongue is highly beneficial. Globally, it is advised that education should be in the mother tongue/local language/community language up to the seventh standard. But in India, parents are preferring English-medium schools. Even governments are not increasing the number of schools teaching in the mother tongue".

Prof Narayandas said some states have made good efforts. "For example, the Telangana government prepared books in tribal languages. But I would say, why not continue education in the mother tongue not just till school but till degree level? But in practice, this is difficult," he said. For instance, with the growth of IT and other sectors in Hyderabad, people from many linguistic backgrounds have come to the city for jobs. "It is impossible to run schools in the mother tongue of every individual. We need to bring changes in teaching methods that accommodate this situation. With today’s technological development, there is scope to learn many languages", he added.

Prof Narayandas said Hindi is the political agenda of the BJP. "If we look at the 2011 census, Hindi has pushed back 55 related languages. That is why the Centre seems to be giving more priority to Hindi. Keeping in mind the importance of various languages, the Constitution has included 18 languages in the Eighth Schedule, which now stands at 22. No language was given dominance. Yet, many states, including Tamil Nadu, now allege that the Centre is trying to make Hindi dominant," he said.

He added that one must be aware of the connections between the Indo-Aryan languages of the North and the Dravidian languages of the South. "Many Telugu words come from Sanskrit. Marathi has words from Telugu and Tamil. Some words came from Arabic, Persian, and Portuguese. Our languages coexist with each other. But the Centre does not seem to have a grand plan to protect local languages. A survey showed that India has 1,383 local languages, but the Centre has recognized only 121 of them as mother tongues," he explained.

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