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Central govt to be replaced with ‘Union govt’ in Tamil Nadu textbooks

The Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation is expected to bring in this change by the next academic year.

The current usage of ‘central government’ would be replaced with ‘Union government,’ in school textbooks, Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation (TNTB&ESC) chief, Dindigul Leoni said in Chennai on Thursday. The newly appointed chairman of the corporation, Leoni said a huge responsibility has been given to him by Chief Minister MK Stalin. Asked if he was prepared for changes like replacing the use of the words central government (Mathiya Arasu) with Union government (Ondryiya Arasu) in textbooks, he told reporters that people have started using the term already, adding that television channels too used it frequently.

“In the curricula too, the use of words central government will be changed and when books are printed for the next term, the words Union government shall be used,” he said adding that the corporation would fully involve itself to implement the change. As soon as it assumed office in May, the DMK, in sync with its ideology of more autonomy for state governments, began using the term ‘Union government’ to refer to the ‘central government’.

According to the DMK, the word ‘union’ strongly signified the concept of federalism and last month, in the Assembly, a debate ensued between the BJP and Chief Minister Stalin over the issue. Though the use of words ‘Ondriya Arasu,’ a formal term comprising pure Tamil words, is not altogether new in either public domain or in official communications, the DMK government has decided to use only this term, completely replacing the term central government.

Meanwhile, the appointment of Leoni by the ruling DMK government was met with sharp criticism from political leaders of other parties, as he had made sexist comments against women in the past. Taking to Twitter, PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss said,“Appointing Dindigul I. Leoni as the Chairman of Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation is an insult to the position. Leoni is someone who has constantly made distasteful remarks about women,”

While campaigning for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, Leoni in a speech during an event had said, “There are several types of cows and the milkman will get milk from the foreign cow using machines. The women and children have become ‘bloated’ after drinking that milk. Once women’s hips were in the shape of ‘eight’ and they were able to carry their children on the hip. Now, their hips have become like a barrel and they’re unable to lift the children.”

Read: Anbumani opposes Dindigul Leoni as head of textbooks corp, says it’s an insult

Source: The News Minute