PREPAK flays GoI's push for Hindi
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 10 2022: Taking strong exception to the Government of India's decision to make Hindi a compulsory subject in schools across the North East region up to standard X, the proscribed PREPAK has alleged that the same initiative is an overt strategy to wipe out all the indigenous peoples of WESEA.

At the 37th meeting of the Parliamentary Official Language Committee held on April 7 at New Delhi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said "now the time has come to make the official language an important part of the unity of the country" .

The Union Home Minister described Hindi as "the language of India", and said that it should be used by citizens from different States to communicate with each other, the outfit quoted in a statement issued by its Charge de' Affairs, Publicity and Propaganda LeibaakNgaakpa Luwang.

According to the statement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi too asserted that Hindu should be made the medium of all officials works.

Now, almost 70 per cent of the Central Cabinet's agenda are drafted in Hindi.

However, the vigorous push for Hindi is being vehemently opposed by Southern States.

The thrust to make Hindi the National language of India not only challenges the federal principle but also humiliates all other languages, the outfit remarked.

The push to promote Hindi as the National language of India is driven by the dream of 'Akhand Bharat' which is based on the principle of 'one Nation, one religion, one culture and one language' .

Imposition of Hindi as a compulsory subject in schools would first push the languages spoken by small indigenous people of hill areas into extinction.

In the next phase, Meiteilon which is the lingua franca of all the people of Manipur would be completely dominated by Hindi.

By that time, Manipur would be completely transformed as a captive market of India, the outfit alleged.

Manipuri language suffered a deadly blow following introduction of Vaishnavism and mass burning of Puyas on October 5, 1732.This was followed by promotion of English and Bengali languages during the British colonial period.

Manipuri language and all other dialects spoken by the indigenous people of Kangleipak were further pushed to a precarious situation due to imposition of Hindi after Kangleipak was allegedly annexed by India in 1949 .

When Kangleipak was allegedly annexed by India, not only its territory but also the people, the native languages, culture, religious practices and traditions were brought under the domination of India, it said.

Before making Hindi a compulsory subject in schools, the Government of India should have first sought approval of State Governments as per the Constitution for education is included in the concurrent list but the Government of India violated the same provision of the Constitution by imposing Hindi at his whim, it asserted.

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples guarantees all indigenous peoples the right to protect and promote their indigenous languages and defend themselves from cultural invasion, it claimed.

The same declaration guarantees all the indigenous peoples the right to pursue education in their own native languages.

Since some years back, Meitei Mayek has been slowly replacing Bengali script.

For the people of Kangleipak it is essential to promote Meiteilon as well as other native dialects/languages namely; Thadou-Kuki, Tangkhul, Rongmei, Vaiphei, Zou, Hmar, Kom, Mizo, Paite, Mao, Liangmei, Gangte, Poumei, Maring, Simte, Anal, Maram, Zeme etc.

Language is inextricably associated with one's identity, culture, history and ethos.

Language is the most fundamental element in keeping one's identity alive and it is also the most powerful force of keeping a community united, the outfit asserted. As such, when a language is suppressed and pushed into oblivion, the Nation which speaks the language is set to witness a complete downfall, it said.

Maintaining that India has not achieved the status of a Nation State but it is in the process of becoming one, the outfit alleged that India has been building an 'Akhand Bharat' by destroying the cultures and identities of many small Nations which were independent earlier in their attempt to attain the status of being a Nation State.

"The only means to save ourselves is to fight back the Government of India's policy by the collective strength of the masses", it asserted.

Even if promoting Hindi as the lingua franca is a vision/long term policy of Indian leaders, it would be a threat to the integrity of India as there are so many languages, communities, cultures and religious practices in different parts of the country, it said.

Reiterating that education is included in the concurrent list, the outfit asserted that the State Government must take up necessary steps in line with the people's pulse.

Saying that Kangleipak has a long history spanning over 5000 years, the outfit cautioned the Government of India not to offend the people of Kangleipak beyond the tolerable limit.

Leaders of the State Government should also come out with a statement regarding the issue if they still love their mother language.

The formula of 'one Nation, one language, one religion' will not be applicable in many parts of India and more particularly in Kangleipak, it said.

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 says that children should be taught in their native tongues till Class VIII so as to promote indigenous languages.

But the Government of India is imposing Hindi till Class X thereby contradicting itself, it pointed out.

It's time for the people to take a resolute stand against the Government of India's vigorous push for Hindi.

The people of Kangleipak must stand together with all the peoples of WESEA against all attempts of the Government of India which are allegedly aimed at wiping out the indigenous peoples, it added.

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