Days after Tamil Nadu Education Minister K Ponmudy created a flutter saying job prospects for Hindi speakers in the state were weak as most of them sold pani-puris, the legislator said that the government might consider teaching a third language, including Hindi, if there are enough takers for it.
Currently, Tamil Nadu has a two-language policy under which Tamil and English are taught.
In an interview with a local news channel Thanti TV, Ponmudy said that the DMK government has no issues with students learning three languages. “It is just that only two (languages) are compulsory… If there are students from Andhra who want to learn Telugu, if Malayali students wish to study Malayalam… If there are takers for it, we will make arrangements to teach them in schools. It’s the same for Kannada or Hindi as well. Just that we categorically stated that Hindi cannot be a mandatory language in our education system,” he added.
He further informed that they are “going to start” this system of “learning a third language as a choice” in state government schools. “Yes, it is being considered now. If there are people who wish to learn another language, our Chief Minister will make arrangements to do that as per the rules,” he said.
Ponmudy, in his interview, also said he didn’t mean to hurt anyone with the pani puri statement. “There are people saying that those who learn Hindi will get jobs. It is true that many Tamils are also going to other states for work. But most of the Hindi-speaking people, who are coming to Tamil Nadu, are running pani puri shops — that is what I meant. My statement never meant to portray anyone in the wrong sense. My point was just that learning Hindi and job opportunities have no relation with one another,” he added.
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