Decolonisation Vs Hindi imposition: Fresh controversy erupts as Kerala and Tamil Nadu oppose new names of NCERT textbooks

Amidst the ongoing controversy around the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the false claims of Hindi imposition, a fresh row has erupted over the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), replacing the names of some English textbooks with Hindi ones. The Kerala government and others usually accuse the Central government of linguistic and cultural imposition, and have deemed NCERT’s move to name its English-medium textbooks with Hindi titles as a continuation of the same.

Under the NEP 2020, the NCERT has changed the names of several textbooks including Class 6 English textbook, which has been renamed from Honeysuckle to Poorvi (eastern), Class 1 and 2 English textbooks have been renamed as Mridang (an Indian musical instrument), Class 3 English textbook has been named as Santoor (musical instrument). Meanwhile, the Class 6 mathematics book will now be known as Ganit Prakash, and Class 3’s as Maths Mela.

Kerala government and Tamil Nadu Congress-DMK oppose NCERT textbook Hindi renaming, allege ‘Hindi imposition’

Predictably, the NCERT’s decision has outraged Kerala and Tamil Nadu governments, often at loggerheads with the Centre over the supposed issue of Hindi imposition.

The decision to give Hindi titles to English medium textbooks of NCERT is a grave illogicality, Kerala Minister for General Education and Employment V Sivankutty said while criticising the council for its decision to give Hindi names to English-medium books. He further accused the central government of “cultural imposition” and of “sabotaging the linguistic diversity of the country.”

“It is absolutely wrong to change the English titles that have been used for decades to respect linguistic diversity and instil a sensitive approach in the minds of children and to shift the focus to Hindi titles like Mridang and Santoor,” the state minister said on Monday.

“The titles in the textbooks are not just names; they shape the perception and imagination of children. English medium students deserve English titles,” Sivankutty argued.

Minister Sivankutty demanded that the NCERT should review and withdraw this decision and that all states unite against such impositions. The minister opined that education should not be an instrument of imposition but of empowerment and consensus.

Similarly, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K. Selvaperunthagai also demanded that NCERT withdraw Hindi titles for English and Mathematics textbooks.  Notably, Congress is a part of the DMK-led ruling coalition in Tamil Nadu.

Selvaperunthagai asserted that the NCERT’s decision comes at a time when the Tamil Nadu government has already opposed the three-language policy, alleging an attempt at imposing Hindi on non-Hindi states.

“In such a situation, changing the names of textbooks in English to Hindi has caused strong opposition among the non-Hindi speaking States. The names of the English language textbooks for classes 6 and 7 were earlier Honeysuckle and Honeycomb. But this time, the names of the English books for two classes have been changed to ‘Purvi’ in Hindi. Furthermore, the textbooks have also been named ‘Mruthang’ and ‘Santhoor’ in Hindi. The name of the Mathematics textbook, which was ‘Mathematics’ in English, has been changed to ‘Ganita Prakash’. This cannot be accepted in any way,” he said.

Not Hindi imposition but decolonisation: NCERT clarifies rationale behind changing names of textbooks

As the politics around NCERT’s decision to replace titles of English and Mathematics textbooks with Hindi intensified, NCERT clarified that the new Hindi titles assigned to English and Mathematics textbooks of certain classes is based not on linguistic favouritism, rather, it is a part of of the pedagogical and philosophical vision of the NEP, which calls for the promotion of Indian languages and knowledge systems. As per an NCERT official, the title modification is aimed at decolonising the education system, aligning it with India’s intellectual traditions.

“The NCERT develops and translates textbooks into Indian languages to make them inclusive and accessible to all learners from diverse linguistic backgrounds,” the NCERT official said.

The NCERT contends that names like Poorvi, Mridang, and Santoor carry deep cultural associations and are “neither translatable nor replaceable”. This approach aligns with the NEP 2020’s emphasis on integrating art and music into education as universal expressions transcending linguistic barriers.

Notably, the names like Poorvi, Santoor, Mridang, etc, indeed introduce students to India’s rich cultural and musical heritage and come across as expressions of national unity. Rooted in classical music, these terms are not exclusive to Hindi but are pan-Indian, surpassing linguistic confines. Such changes may help unite students across diverse linguistic regions by asserting shared cultural symbols and blur regional bounds in a positive sense. Using Roman script for these ‘Hindi’ names mitigates the allegations of linguistic hegemony by making titles accessible to students of all linguistic backgrounds without essentially requiring Hindi literacy.

As the NCERT official said, this move is aimed at decolonising the curriculum and promoting one that values native heritage. The NCERT, however, needs to clear all confusions and come up with a more elaborate clarification so that their efforts aimed to foster cultural unity may not be misinterpreted as linguistic chauvinism, especially in states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala, where language and regional pride are intermittently raked up for political gains.

Is Centre really imposing Hindi?

This, however, is not the first time that Tamil Nadu and Kerala have come at loggerheads with the Centre with the former advocating for regional autonomy and the latter pushing for a diverse yet unified national identity. Earlier this year, Tamil Nadu government had pushed the ‘Hindi colonialism’ narrative alleging that centre is imposing Hindi on Tamil and other non-Hindi speaking states, over the NEP’s three-language policy even though it did not make Hindi compulsory. The policy does not require students to take up any one language, instead, it allows the states and learners to choose. The formula underlines that each Indian student must study three languages: a foreign language and two native including one regional.

The three-language formula was implemented as a consequence of an agreement reached by the chief ministers of numerous Indian states at their 1961 meeting. Rather than being a goal or limitation on language learning, it was framed to serve as a convenient starting point for the analysis of the nation’s evolving body of knowledge and emotional integration. NEP 2020 has promoted the same as a means of fostering multilingualism and bolstering national unity. The aim is to provide students with the resources they need to communicate successfully across the country. Additionally, it seeks to promote acceptance of linguistic diversity and expose kids to a variety of cultures and languages in order to build national integration.

While the opposition’s objection to the three-language policy came across more as political,  the concerns around NCERT naming books with Hindi titles is not devoid of genuine concerns including those pertaining to pronounciations. In the foreword of the Class 6^th English textbook Poorvi, NCERT Director Dinesh Saklani emphasises that the new book encapsulates elements of Indic knowledge systems, cultural heritage, and teaches values like gender equality, digital skills, etc, one wonders why can’t at least English textbooks have English tiles.

Notably, reports say that not all NCERT textbooks have undergone title change. For example, the new science book for Class 6 has been renamed as Curiosity in English. Meanwhile,  Hindi and Urdu versions are named Jigyasa and Tajassus. The social science book is named Exploring Society: India and Beyond in English and Samaj Ka Adhyayan: Bharat aur Uske Aage in Hindi. This suggests that the Central government or NCERT are not attempting to impose Hindi on non-Hindi states rather are intending to promote Indic expressions that foster national unity. However, NCERT needs to make the process more transparent, seek wider consultation to ensure that its efforts achieve their intended purpose of promoting cultural inclusivity and sensitivity through a culturally rich curriculum.

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