Centre’s move to impose Hindi divisive in character, detrimental to country’s integrity : Stalin
Chennai, Oct 15 (FN Agency) Asserting that the recent attempts by the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre to impose Hindi are impractical and divisive in character, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M.K.Stalin said it would be detrimental to country’s integrity and puts non-Hindi speaking people in a very disadvantageous position in many respects. In a Demi-Official letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, copies of which were released to the media here, he said this will not be acceptable not only to Tamil Nadu, but also to any state that respects and values their mother tongue. Referring to the report submitted by Parliamentary Committee on Official Languages chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to President Droupadhy Murmu recommending that Hindi should be the compulsory medium of instruction in educational institutions of the Union Government, Stalin said all the regional languages, including Tamil, should be treated equally in India, and that is the way to ensure the principle of unity in diversity.
“All languages should be accorded the status of official language of the Union Government”, he said and added that the efforts to impose Hindi in various ways as recommended in the report may not be taken forward and the glorious flame of unity of India may be held high forever. Stalin said promoting the rich and varied cultural diversity along with respective distinct linguistic flavours is the pride and strength of the Indian subcontinent. The Nation stands as a shining example for multicultural and multilinguistic democracy in the world arena today, because of the inclusive and harmonious policies being followed so far. “But, I am afraid, the continued efforts to promoting Hindi in the name of ‘one nation’ will destroy the feeling of brotherhood of people of different languages and cultures and is detrimental to the integrity of India”, he added.
“I suggest that the approach of the Union Government should be to include all languages, including Tamil, in the Eighth Schedule, the official language, keeping in view the scientific development and technological facilities and promote all languages and keep open the avenues of progress in terms of education and employment equal to speakers of all languages”, he said. The Parliamentary Committee on Official Languages in its report to the President has recommended that Hindi should be the compulsory medium of instruction in educational institutions of the Union government such as IITs, IIMs, AIIMS and central universities and Hindi should replace English. It also includes a recommendation that Hindi shall be made as the medium of instruction in all technical, non-technical institutions and all the Union Government institutions, including Kendriya Vidyalayas, Stalin said.