By Francis Khongwar
Shillong ( Meghalaya ), April 12 : The North East Students’ Organization (NESO), comprising eight prominent student bodies from the seven North Easter states today expressed strong opposition to Centres intention to make Hindi language as compulsory subject till Class-X.
In a letter sent to the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, NESO expressed its strong opposition to the proposal in the recently concluded Parliamentary Official Language Committee that Hindi language, a component of the Modern Indian Language will be made compulsory till class X in all the eight North Eastern States.
NESO said “In the NER each state bears its own unique and diversified languages spoken by different ethnic groups ranging from Indo-Aryan, to Tibeto-Burman, to Austro-Asiatic families. In this region, a native or indigenous language or a mother tongue is an important marker for a community. Native or indigenous languages are being further enriched in terms of all aspects such as literature, academics and arts.
It is understood that the Hindi language accounts for approximately 40-43 percent of native speakers in India. It is however worth noting that there is a plethora of other native languages in India which are rich, thriving and vibrant in their own perspectives giving India an image of a diverse and multi-lingual nation.
In the NER each state bears its own unique and diversified languages spoken by different ethnic groups ranging from Indo-Aryan, to Tibeto-Burman, to Austro-Asiatic families. In the region, a native or indigenous language or a mother tongue is an important marker for a community. Native or indigenous languages are being further enriched in terms of all aspects such as in literature, academics and arts”.
It also added that the imposition of Hindi as a compulsory subject in the NER will be detrimental not only for the propagation and dissemination of the indigenous languages but also to students who will be compelled to add another compulsory subject to their already vast syllabus.
The NESO is vehemently against this policy and will continue to oppose it as it had done in the past. As per the understanding of the organization, such a move will not usher in unity but will be a tool to create apprehensions and disharmony. Also, a move to make one of the MIL subjects as compulsory is more or less like belittling the indigenous language spoken and written by a particular community.
NESO would like to urge upon your office to withdraw such an unfavorable policy but instead should focus on how to further uplift the indigenous languages of the North East region such as incorporation in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution.
It may be recalled that since the announcement by the Home Minister regarding the imposition of Hindi languages in the northeast various organizations in from the region has raised voice opposing the move.
