Choice rests with citizens in linguistic pluralism: JNU VC

Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University Prof Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit on Friday batted for ‘not imposing’ any language on anyone.

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Speaking at a book discussion on ‘Pluralism in India and Indonesia — Diversity in the quest for Unity’ here on Friday, the JNU VC said she hails from Tamil Nadu and added that “unity is not uniformity. It’s not just about religious pluralism, it’s also linguistic pluralism. The choice must be with the citizens, nothing can be imposed.”

The VC said people in the country are still fighting over having a single link language — Hindi — and there is a huge controversy between the North and South.

Commenting on the proposed three-language formula under the new National Education Policy, Prof Pandit said, “It should be multi-lingual and the three languages should be of choice, of what I want to learn. It should not be imposed on me.”

“I think this is what the state of Tamil Nadu is trying to say,” the VC

said, adding, “Tamil Nadu does not speak Hindi. For me, Hindi is as foreign as English.”

Earlier in the day, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister called the Centre’s three-language formula under the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 a form of “Hindi colonialism”. Stalin, in a post he wrote in English, said Tamil Nadu will not tolerate “Hindi colonialism” replacing “British colonialism”.

Making an obvious reference to attempts on imposing uniformity, the VC said, “In India,

we have this issue whether we should have ‘one’. I don’t like one. You have to give me the choice of what to do.”

She said it was important for a democracy to develop a culture of deliberations and debates.