Instead of making Hindi compulsory, focus on upliftment of indigenous languages: Students’ Bodies

Days after Home Minister Amit Shah informed about making Hindi compulsory till Class 10 across the country, the North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) called it an unfavorable policy.

Hindi should remain an optional or elective subject till Class 10 for areas where other indigenous languages are spoken, said a letter by NESO to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The former has called it an 'unfavorable policy'.

The center had a few days ago announced to make Hindi compulsory in every nook and corner of the country. Therefore, the North East Students’ Organisation (NESO), a conglomeration of eight students’ bodies, has taken offense in the center asking to make Hindi compulsory. The move will be detrimental to indigenous languages and create disharmony.

Amit Shah had said at a meeting of the Parliamentary Official Language Committee in New Delhi on April 7 that all northeast states have agreed to make Hindi compulsory in schools till Class 10.

“It is understood that the Hindi language accounts for approximately 40-43 per cent of native speakers in India. However, it is worth noting that there are a plethora of other native languages in the country, which are rich, thriving, and vibrant in their own perspectives, giving India an image of a diverse and multilingual nation,” NESO said.

In the northeast, 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, the organisation, comprising the All Assam Students’ Union, Naga Students’ Federation, All Manipur Students’ Union, and All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union among others, said.

“The imposition of Hindi as a compulsory subject in the region 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.