Amit Shah bats for Hindi as alternative to English, Opposition cries 'imposition’
India Today
Opposition leaders are up in arms over Union Home minister Amit Shah's remarks during the 37th meeting of the Parliamentary Official Language Committee.
Hindi should be accepted as an alternative to English and not to local languages, Union Home minister Amit Shah said on Friday. He made the remarks during the 37th meeting of the Parliamentary Official Language Committee in New Delhi.
As per a statement issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), the Union Home minister suggested to the committee that it is time to carry out a revision of the Hindi dictionary. He even mentioned that 70 per cent of the Union Cabinet's agenda is now prepared in Hindi.
Union Home minister Amit Shah also stressed the need for "elementary knowledge of Hindi for students up to 9th class" and "more attention to Hindi teaching examinations".
READ: We don’t oppose Hindi, we oppose Hindi imposition, says Tamil Nadu CM Stalin
"Time has come to make the Official Language an important part of the unity of the country. When people from states which speak other languages communicate with each other, it should be in the language of India.
"Unless we make Hindi flexible by accepting words from other local languages, it will not be promoted," the Union Home minister said.
The statements have drawn sharp reactions from opposition parties, including the Congress, Shiv Sena, DMK and Trinamool Congress (TMC).
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