Bid to impose Hindi unlikely to fructify: Dilip Mayengbam
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, April 24 2022:
In the backdrop of the Union government's apparent move to popularise Hindi in the northeast region, a one-day discourse on 'Hindi compulsory in the schools of northeast' was organised by Federal Students' Organisation Kangleipak (FESOK) at Classic Hotel, North AOC here on Sunday.
The discourse was organised in association with Federation of Government Colleges Teachers' Association (FEGOCTA), College Teachers' Association (COTA) and All Manipur Students' Guardians' Association (AMSGA) .
Former JNMDA director Dilip Mayengbam, FESOK president Romesh Ningthouja and AMSGA general secretary Sougrakpam Sumati attended the discussion programme as chief guest, president and guest of honour respectively .
Speaking on the occasion, Dilip Mayengbam opined that students and teach ers should take the role of activists whether they are in government educational institution or not.
One should not ignore the issues of the neighbour as it can reach them anytime.
He also expressed concern over the failure of the state to reap benefits of the 8th schedule status of Manipuri language and said that the language needs activists for proper planning.
Manipuri language is a protected language and no force can attempt to downgrade the language, he said and maintained that MP of the state can speak the language in the parliament.
There is no provision to make Hindi compulsory either in the education policy or in the constitution and imposition of Hindi cannot succeed, he affirmed.
The BJP government is taking up initiatives under Act East Policy.
Imphal-Moreh highway is being developed which will further connect up to Mandalay.
Hindi has infiltrated Arunachal Pradesh in the absence of a lingua franca.
School textbooks have been published in simplified Hindi and as a result, Hindi has become a main language in that state.
The northeast states are feeling its impact.
Despite this fact, it is questionable if the government would be able to make Hindi compulsory in Gujarat, Maharashtra and South India, he said.
Dilip also expressed possibilities of the recent remark of the union home minister as an experiment to see the reaction of the northeast states and their people to eventually push their agenda forward.
He further said that no such policy should result in the dilution of Manipuri language, which has its own constitutional safeguard.