Former IAS officer Toki Blah has disagreed with the central government’s intent to make Hindi a compulsory subject in North East schools up to Class 10.
“It is okay to know and learn Hindi but it should be according to one’s will and I disagree that it should be made compulsory. Our mother tongue and English are good enough and Hindi can be a third language,” he told Highland Post.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent announcement of the Centre’s decision has drawn ire from several quarters in the North East, though Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has been broadly in favour of the move.
The future of the youth, especially in terms of employment, rests on their knowledge of English and not Hindi, Blah said. “When we compete in the English language we compete on a global scale that is also recognized by the internet globally. English is the future for our youth and in South East Asian countries many get job opportunities to teach English,” he stated.
Even if Meghalaya youth learn Hindi up to Class 10, they will not be able to master it like North Indians whose first language is either Hindi or a language related to it, he opined. “Who will ask about Hindi when we go to pursue higher studies in European countries or America?” he added.
There is, in reality, little need for Meghalayans to learn Hindi, other than enough to get by in speaking to tourists or in case they travel to the Hindi heartland, Blah said, and he is of the opinion that the move to spread Hindi is more part of the agenda of the Sangh Parivar.
Meanwhile, on the proposed inclusion of Khasi in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, Blah said that this will add sentimental and emotional value and promote the reading and writing of the Khasi language. However, like Hindi, its usefulness in the job market is limited, he added.
