Stand against 'compulsory Hindi' grows more audible
FESOK launches signature campaign
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 17 2022: The Federal Students' Organization, Kangleipak (FESOK) today launched a signature campaign against the Central Government's move to make Hindi a compulsory subject in schools across the entire North East region including Manipur.

Notably, Home Minister Amit Shah had stated that Hindi would be made compulsory up to Class 10 in the eight North Eastern States on April 9, following which many student organizations and CSOs in the State have been reacting strongly against the statement, alleging the Central Government's move as an attempt to exterminate the native language of the Manipuris.

The signature campaign was kick-started this afternoon at DM College campus, Thangmeiband with the volunteers of FESOK collecting signatures from students studying at the same college.

Stand against 'compulsory Hindi' grows more audible

Speaking to the media, FESOK Education and Library secretary Nameirakpam Rikesh Mangang asserted that signatures of more than 50,000 people who oppose the Central Government's move to impose Hindi in the State would be collected during the campaign and the same would be submitted to both the Central and State Governments.

While terming the Central Government's move to make Hindi language compulsory in schools as a disappointment for the small ethnic communities like Manipuris, he opined that the move will have adverse impacts on all the ethnic communities residing in the State.

He also conveyed that the resolution adopted in the public convention held in connection with the Central Government's move to impose Hindi language on April 14 this year at Classic Hotel, North AOC had also been submitted to the State Government earlier.

Saying that 40 percent of the total languages in India, including those of the ethnic communities in North East region are on the verge of extinction, Rikesh maintained that a community will no longer be able to preserve its culture, tradition and other values when its own language has become extinct.

He added that Manipuris will become dependent on others in terms of knowledge and wisdom if their languages are extinct.

Decrying that the State Government is yet to take up any appropriate measure to preserve and promote the Manipuri language till today even though the same language has been included in the 8th Schedule, Rikesh contended that it would be difficult to preserve the Manipuri language without a 'State Language Policy' in the present situation where the influence of outside cultures and languages on the native people has been growing at an alarming rate.

"It's high time that all the sections of the society stand together and fight against the injustice meted out to the ethnic communities living in the State'', the FESOK's Education and Library secretary added.