 "No intent of imposing Hindi on non-Hindi speaking states, says Centre")
The Centre on Friday clarified that its instructions on increased use of Hindi in official communication, particularly on social networking sites, was only for Hindi speaking states. The government also reiterated that it wasn't trying to impose Hindi on non-Hindi speaking states.
On Friday evening, Minister of state (Home) Kiren Rijiju said that all regional languages and local dialects were equal and that the government believed in promotion of all languages.
In its clarification, the Centre said two of its circulars in question - of March 10 and May 27 - repeated an old policy of asking only the Hindi speaking states to implement the orders related to giving priority to use of Hindi on social networking sites. It said the irculars were neither a "new policy nor an attempt to impose the use of Hindi on any non-Hindi-speaking state".
The Centre claimed that the home ministry's Department of Official Languages issued a circular on 10 March, 2014 stating that 'A' category states or Hindi speaking states must give equal importance to the use of Hindi in its social media platforms and reiterated that the use of Hindi be compulsory in Government's communication only in the Hindi speaking States.
The clarification claimed that the home ministry in its 27 May circular had only communicated the guidelines of the Department of Official Languages with regard to the social media to the departments under the ministry.
"We have Urdu and English as official languages. So Hindi can't be forced," Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat said the problem was with the government's order that stated "only Hindi" will be used in social media communication. She said this was dangerous to national unity and against linguistic equality.
The clarification came after several political leaders from across India criticised the Centre's alleged move to give prominence to the use of Hindi on social networking sites.
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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said his party has always favoured the use of Hindi and Urdu. Shiv Sena, an ally in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre, found little wrong in promoting Hindi. Sena spokesman Sanjay Raut said while states should use their regional languages, Hindi should be promoted as social language.
Earlier this week in the Odisha assembly, Kengam Surya Rao, MLA from Parlakhemundi, where Telugu is widely spoken, asked a question in Hindi. Speaker Niranjan Pujari barred him by stating the member can ask a question either in Odiya or English. Today, the Speaker allowed the MLA to speak in Hindi.
Congress leader P Chidambaram also cautioned against the Centre's approach. "There is backlash in non-Hindi states, especially Tamil Nadu. The Government would be well advised to proceed with caution," he said.
On Thursday, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief M Karunanidhi slammed the Centre for its intent to promote Hindi. On Friday, several Tamil politicians, including Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa as well as NDA allies Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and MDMK were critical of the Centre's alleged decision on Hindi.
Jayalalithaa shot off a letter to the PM in which she termed the home ministry proposal on Hindi "against the letter and spirit" of the Official Languages Act, 1963. She said the "highly sensitive issue" caused "disquiet" in the people of Tamil Nadu "who are very proud of and passionate about their linguistic heritage".
She said social media by its very nature weren't accessible to many, but were meant as a means of communication across the country, including those living in 'Region C', that is Tamil Nadu, with whom the Centre's communication needs to be in English.
The BJP, however, defended the Centre's move. BJP vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said priority to Hindi should not be construed as "insult" to English.