Hatred towards any language is inappropriate: Mayawati criticises row over language

Lucknow, April 19 (IANS) Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Saturday strongly criticised the ongoing disputes between the Centre and various state governments over key issues such as the national census, delimitation of constituencies, and language policy.

In a series of posts on X, the former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati said such matters, which have significant national implications, should not be politicised.

“It is natural that public and national interest will suffer when issues like census, reallocation of Lok Sabha seats based on population, the new education policy, and the imposition of language are used for political gains,” she wrote, adding, “Good governance is that which takes the entire country forward in accordance with the Constitution.”

She particularly emphasised the need to be sensitive about language issues in education and governance.

“The government must consider how children studying in government schools -- especially those from oppressed and neglected sections such as the poor, Dalits, tribals, and Backward Classes -- can compete in IT and other skilled sectors without access to English education. Hatred towards any language is inappropriate,” she said.

The three-language formula proposed in the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, is at the centre of a political row between the Tamil Nadu government and the central government.

While the Union government is trying to implement it across all states, the Tamil Nadu government is opposing it with all its might, claiming that it is the imposition of Hindi on them and an attack on Tamil pride.

In a separate post, Mayawati also spoke about a meeting held in Delhi to review and strengthen the BSP’s organisational structure in key states across western and southern India.

“There was an in-depth review of preparations to expand the BSP’s base in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. We resolved to intensify the party’s work in these regions with full dedication -- physically, mentally, and financially -- as per the laid-out guidelines,” she added.

--IANS

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