Panneerselvam Slams DMK for Limiting Free Tamil Textbooks to Out-of-State Schools

Rapid Summary

• Former Tamil Nadu chief Minister O. Panneerselvam criticized the DMK government for restricting the free distribution of Tamil textbooks to schools in other States and countries.
• He claimed this restriction was due to rising costs in paper and labor, citing inefficient financial management by the DMK government.
• reports suggest earlier distributions amounted to ₹50 lakh annually, with meaningful cuts reducing it to only 10 textbooks being distributed now.
• Mr. Panneerselvam argued students in other States are losing opportunities to learn Tamil, and Tamil schools outside Tamil Nadu risk closure.
• He urged Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s governance to resume funding for free textbook distribution as part of promoting Tamil globally.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The reduction of free textbook distribution raises concerns about access to education for students studying Tamil outside the State and abroad. While cost escalations are a plausible challenge, critics point out that this decision appears incongruent with official claims about economic growth under the current administration.Efforts like distributing books aid cultural preservation among diasporas; hence curtailment risks weakening ties between native speakers living elsewhere and their heritage language. Ensuring robust support for such programs might reflect deeper commitments toward preserving linguistic identity beyond geographical boundaries.

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