Protests Against Hindi in

Northeastern States
By
Mohan Benarji Reddy and Sailaja Areti
• The Government of India has recently provided that Hindi
would be made compulsory up to Class 10 in the 8
northeastern states. Hindi is referred to as "the language of
India."
• However, the move has been met with protests by various
organizations in the Northeast. Several south Indian states
have also criticized the central government's decision.
• Instead, these groups support a three-language policy that
includes English, Hindi, and the local language.
• What are the Northeastern Organization's Arguments?
• The state is protected by the Constitution's Sixth Schedule,
and the Centre would be unable to impose Hindi on students.
• The move by the Centre will provide Hindi speakers with an
economic, academic, and administrative edge, allowing them to
control non-Hindi-speaking regions of the country in the long
run.
• What is the problem with the Hindi language and Identity?
• Linguistic Organization of the states: In India, the majority of states
were formed on the basis of linguistics.
• Because of India's limited resources, conflicts over identity,
particularly over languages, tend to escalate.
• Linguistic Division Examples: In the past, the status of language
has been a critical issue that has resulted in the division ofstates.
• Andhra Pradesh (the first state formed on a linguistic
basis), Punjab, and Gujarat were all formed as a result of statehood
demand ona linguistic basis.
• Language policy is one approach by which the government
attempts to manage ethnic conflict.
• As a result, state autonomy over language policy can be a more
viable option for developing federal cooperation than imposing a
three-language formula.
• What is the Three-Language Formula and Why is it Necessary?
• The Kothari Commission proposed the Three-Language Formula in
1968. In accordance with this scheme:
• It will be the mother tongue or a regional language as the first
language.
• Second language: Other modern Indian languages or English will
be used in Hindi-speaking states. It will be Hindi or English in non-
Hindi speaking states.
• Third Language: English or a modern Indian language will be used
in Hindi-speaking states. It will be English or a modern Indian
language in non-Hindi speaking states.
• The main goal is to promote multilingualism and national
harmony.
• India's strength has always been its unity in diversity. As a
result, in the context of language-related identity and India's
federal polity, both the centre and the states should pursue
cooperative models and avoid linguistic hegemony/chauvinism.
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