NEFIS criticises imposition of Hindi language
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, April 11 2022:
North-East Forum for International Solidarity (NEFIS) has voiced strong condemnation against union Home minister Amit Shah's statement to impose Hindi in eight Northeast states as a compulsory subject till class 10 and demanded that the minister take back his words and tender apology to the country.
In a release, NEFIS member Thokchom Yaiphalembi Chanu said the latest attempt by the union government to impose Hindi makes it amply clear that it takes Hindi to be more important than all other languages spoken in India or recognised by the 8th schedule of the Constitution of India.
"The current proposal, therefore, seeks to impose Hindi as a national language, thereby exerting Hindi chauvinism over other communities, especially the marginalised ones.
This step gives undue importance to Hindi vis-a-vis other languages of non-Hindi speaking regions," she said.
The NEFIS member went on to say that the ministry instead of creating more infrastructure to promote languages of non-Hindi speaking regions, especially of linguistically marginal/minority communities, is invested in imposing its diktat on people from non-Hindi speaking backgrounds especially marginal/minority groups.
The statement only serves to promote cultural chauvinism, the release added.
Mention may be made here that union minister Amit Shah on Friday stated that the states of the North-East had agreed to make Hindi compulsory till class 10 .