Shillong, April 12: The North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) comprised of all the students organsation of the North Eastern Region has sent memorandum to union home minister Mr. Amit Shah to opposed to make Hindi as a compulsory subject till Class X.
NESO express strong opposition to the proposal in the recently concluded Parliamentary Official Language Committee that the subject of Hindi language, a component of the Modern Indian Language (MIL) will be made compulsory till class X in all the 8 North Eastern States.
It is understood that the Hindi language accounts for approximately 40-43 percent of native speakers in India. It is however worth noted 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.
The Native or indigenous languages are being further enriched in terms of all aspects such as in literature, academics and arts. 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 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.
The NESO would like to urge upon your office to withdraw such an unfavourable 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 and facilitating more schemes for their development and progress.
The NESO is of the view that indigenous languages should be made compulsory in their native states till the 10th standard and Hindi should remain as an optional or elective subject.
In view of the above facts we urged upon your office and the Parliamentary Official Language Committee to revoke the previous decision and instead take due consideration of our proposals and suggestions said in the press statement Mr. Samuel B Jyrwa Chairman NESO and Mr. Sinam Prakash Singh Secretary General NESO.
