Hindi imposition is a linguistic propagation in which the use of Modern Standard Hindi is preferred in Indian states that do not use or desire to use Hindi as a regional language. The term is rooted in the anti-Hindi agitations of Tamil Nadu, where it was proposed for Hindi to be taught in schools in the Madras Presidency. The idea of modern Hindi imposition developed from Hindi and English being designated as an official language of the Indian Republic, with a motion to replace English with Hindi within 15 years of its designation – which has not happened.
Background
In India in 1951, there were around 1,652 languages used as a mother tongue, with 87% of the country's population of approximately 450 million speaking one of 14 different languages. The most popular was Hindi, spoken by around 30% of India's population. Jawaharlal Nehru – the prime minister of India at the time – viewed a lingua franca as necessary due to the diversity of languages. He suggested that the Hindustani language (Hindi–Urdu) was the best option, as it was easy-to-learn, was already spoken by a plurality of the population, and was thought to forge unity between Hindu and Muslim communities – whereas English would not be a viable due to the difficulties in educating a foreign language to millions of people. The Constitution of India, therefore, designated Hindi and English as co-official languages, with the latter being phased out within 15 years. The Constitution of India also states that efforts should be undertaken to promote the use of Hindi – where the three-language formula was suggested. In this format, a student's first language would be their own mother tongue, the second language would be Hindi, and the third language would be English. This was described as an educational burden where Hindi speakers would only have to learn two languages, whereas others would have to learn three, or possibly four languages if one's mother tongue was not the state's official language. Nehru also suggested that efforts should be made to simplify the amount of languages spoken by absorbing variants of Hindi into a single language, and creating one script for Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu. In recent developments, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced a decision to make Hindi compulsory in all eight northeastern states up to Class 10. This decision was communicated during the 37th meeting of the Parliamentary Official Language Committee held in New Delhi. Shah emphasized the importance of Hindi as "the language of India" and advocated for its wider acceptance as an alternative to English, particularly for inter-state communication. According to Shah, the move aims to integrate Hindi more closely into the fabric of national unity. To support this initiative, Shah noted the recruitment of 22,000 Hindi teachers across the northeastern states and highlighted the efforts of nine tribal communities in adopting Devanagari script for their dialects' scripts. However, the proposal has faced staunch opposition in the Northeastern region. Critics argue that the imposition of Hindi undermines the linguistic diversity and cultural identities of the region. They emphasize the importance of preserving and promoting local languages, which hold significant cultural and historical relevance for indigenous communities. This opposition reflects a historical context of linguistic tensions in India, exemplified by events such as the Madras Anti-Hindi Agitation in 1965. Such protests have influenced language policies in the country, highlighting the complexities of language politics and the need for inclusive language policies that respect linguistic diversity. As per Duncan B. Forrester's study on the Madras Anti-Hindi Agitation in 1965, political protests have had significant effects on language policy in India. The agitation brought attention to the importance of considering linguistic diversity and community sentiments in formulating language policies.
Arguments
Modern Hindi imposition has been used as a political tool, with many supporting the use of Hindi as a sole language of India with various arguments, while others oppose this action. The term One Nation, One Language has repeatedly been used to justify the imposition of Hindi. Hindu nationalists have used the phrase "Hindi-Hindu-Hindustan", and are in favour of imposing a Sanskritised Hindi.
Uniformity It has been suggested that the use of Hindi as a national language can unite its population, and can be used as an official medium of communication within India. People from the southern states have stated that it is redundant to use two different languages as official languages, when only one can be used instead.
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
