Chennai: DMK president M K Stalin alleged on Monday that the Centre's move on dropping the clause on compulsory Hindi learning in the draft National Education Policy was aimed at deceiving Tamil Nadu and demanded an explanation over it.
He sought a categorical assurance that Hindi will not be thrust on the southern state.
Presiding over a function to celebrate the 96th birth anniversary of his father and DMK patriarch, late M Karunanidhi here, Stalin said in the absence of such an explanation, Tamil Nadu will witness a massive agitation on the lines of the 1965 stir to oppose Hindi.
Recalling the demonstration led by Karunanidhi during the pre-Independence era and the 1965 protests against Hindi in Tamil Nadu, he said a situation was now emerging for reprising such massive agitations.
"The announcement (by the Centre on dropping the contentious clause mandating Hindi learning) has been made with an intent to deceive and if there is no explanation (assuring that Hindi will not be thrust) in two to three days, the leaders of the alliance partners here will get together, decide and following that, Tamil Nadu will witness a massive agitation, be prepared," Stalin told party workers.
The DMK chief alleged that the BJP-led Centre was enacting a drama on the language issue after seeing the huge opposition to the proposal in the draft National Education Policy on Hindi learning in Tamil Nadu.
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Mysuru (Karnataka) (PTI): RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday said population control policies and the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code required public cooperation and long-term thinking, and asserted that caste-based politics would disappear only when society stopped identifying with caste divisions.
Addressing an interaction session after delivering a lecture on "Social Harmony as a Catalyst for National Development" at JSS Mahavidyapeetha here, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief also called for harmony among religions and communities. He urged people to practise equality in social life through conduct rather than slogans.
"Because society remembers caste, politicians take advantage of it. Their legitimate aim is to get votes. If they cannot get votes through work, they will get votes through caste," he said.
Replying to a question on the Population Control Bill and Uniform Civil Code (UCC), Bhagwat said the RSS was not the government but a social organisation and emphasised that laws could succeed only with public participation.
"People must first be educated. Policy is necessary, but policy can only succeed with public cooperation," he said.
Referring to population control measures during the Emergency period, Bhagwat said aggressive enforcement had led to public resentment and political backlash.
