Minister slams Lakshadweep admin for 'removing' Arabic, Mahal languages from school curriculum

Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 4 (PTI) Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty on Wednesday slammed the reported decision by the Lakshadweep administration to remove Arabic and Mahal languages from the school curriculum of the union territory and said it is "deeply disturbing" and deserves the "strongest condemnation'.

This move, taken under the guise of implementing the National Education Policy (NEP), blatantly contradicts the central government's professed commitment to promoting mother tongues and regional diversity in education, he said in a statement.

By denying Lakshadweep's children the opportunity to learn their own language, the Centre is violating the constitutional rights of linguistic minorities, he said.

By doing so, it is undermining the very pluralism and inclusiveness that define our nation, the senior Left leader further said.

The move was "deeply disturbing" and deserves the "strongest condemnation", he said in the statement.

"Language is not merely a medium of communication. It is a carrier of identity, history, and culture. The systematic erasure of native languages through education policy is nothing less than an assault on the cultural fabric of our society," Sivankutty said.

The minister in the statement recalled that the Government of Kerala had earlier raised strong concerns about the underlying intent and direction of the PM SHRI project and the broader NEP framework.

"Our decision to oppose its implementation in the state was based on precisely such apprehensions--that centralised policies would override regional, linguistic, and cultural realities in the name of standardisation," he said.

Pointing out that education is a subject in the Concurrent List of the Constitution, the minister further said both the Centre and states have a role in its governance.

"Any attempt by the Union Government to unilaterally impose educational directives that marginalise local languages and cultures is a clear case of overreach and must be resisted," he said.

Expressing strong solidarity with the people of Lakshadweep on this issue, Sivankutty urged all democratic forces, educators, and civil society organisations to raise their voices against this "linguistic injustice" and to demand an immediate reversal of the decision, the statement added. PTI LGK KH