CPI (M) MP Brittas objects to exclusion of Mahal, Arabic in Lakshadweep schools under 3-language formula

Hindustan Times

5 hours ago

New Delhi, Communist Party of India MP John Brittas on Thursday wrote to Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan objecting to the exclusion of Mahal and Arabic in Lakshadweep schools under the three-language formula.
In his letter, the Rajya Sabha member expressed deep concern over the move to implement the three-language formula under the National Education Policy 2020, which led to exclusion of Mahal and Arabic.
He said the two languages are integral to the socio-cultural and educational fabric of the Lakshadweep archipelago as well as against the strategies adopted by the Union government for unilateral nationwide implementation of NEP 2020.
"The exclusion of the above-mentioned languages from Lakshadweep schools - each intrinsically tied to the identity, heritage, and future aspirations of the island's people - is not only unjust but also emblematic of the broader flaws inherent in the top-down imposition of the NEP," Brittas said.
The Lakshadweep administration had issued an order last month that sought to replace Mahal and Arabic with Hindi under the National Curriculum Framework. Malayalam and English are to be taught as first and second languages in schools, the order also said.
However, the Kerala High Court, earlier this month, ordered a stay on the order "till further orders".
Brittas said Mahal is not merely a dialect, but a distinct language with its own script and literary heritage, deeply embedded in the lives of the Minicoy community, and Arabic holds profound religious, academic, and occupational significance, particularly in a region where a considerable number of residents are expatriates.
"Lakshadweep follows the Kerala state syllabus, which includes Arabic - but also strikes at the heart of a linguistic and cultural ecosystem nurtured over generations. Such selective imposition is indicative of a broader disregard for minority identities," he said.
He demanded that the government direct the authorities concerned to reconsider the exclusion of Mahal and Arabic from the curriculum in Lakshadweep, but also to put the nationwide implementation of NEP 2020 on hold until proper consultations are undertaken with all relevant stakeholders, including state governments, students, teachers, local bodies, and elected representatives."
"Any curricular or linguistic restructuring must be democratic, inclusive, and rooted in the lived realities of the people," he added.