Ruling out the possibility of Tamil Nadu adopting the three-language formula, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamazhi on Wednesday said accepting it would be akin to placing one’s hands in a wild beehive.

“The Union Government is exerting pressure to adopt the New Education Policy (NEP) which mandates the three language formula. But, accepting it in Tamil Nadu would be like placing your hands on a wild beehive,” he said responding to questions at a media interaction in Trichy on Wednesday.

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“Funds are being withheld by the Union Government to force the state to implement the NEP. For the School Education Department, the Union Government had to release Rs 573 crore till June. The outstanding for last year is Rs 249 crore. Chief Minister MK Stalin, before his departure to the US, had written a letter to the Union Education Ministry seeking the immediate release of the funds. MPs from the state have met the Union Minister, urging him to disburse the amount,” Poyyamozhi said, adding that the Union Ministry continues to insist upon NEP implementation.

“In the domain of school education, Tamil Nadu is performing well and the Union Government forgets that it has to encourage the state. The national target is to achieve 50% Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) by 2030. But, Tamil Nadu had surpassed it two years ago. Differences over policy should not be a reason to withhold funds and it is not justified,” he said. Education of lakhs of students is at stake and there should not be any politics in this issue, he added.

For long, Tamil Nadu has been following the two-language policy – mother tongue Tamil and English and the state had witnessed massive agitation against the imposition of Hindi in 1965. It was this agitation which had catapulted the DMK to power in 1967 under the leadership of party founder CN Annadurai, affectionately called Anna (elder brother). Both the DMK and AIADMK, which continue to rule the state alternatively are steadfastly opposed to the three language formula.

Hindi is also a reason why the state has not allowed entry of centrally-funded Navodaya Schools.