SUSHMA: U.N. CAN’T MAKE HINDI OFFICIAL

India is ready to bear all expenses, if necessary up to `400 crore, to make Hindi one of the official languages of the United Nations but its rules for acquiring such a status prevents the country from doing so, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said in Parliament on Wednesday.

“The United Nations has a specific procedure for a language to be recognised as an official language of the UN. According to that procedure, getting Hindi accepted as an official language of the UN will involve adoption of a Resolution by the UN General Assembly with a minimum two-third majority, as the additional expenditure, according to UN rules have to be contributed by all member-states,” Ms Swaraj said, in a written reply.

Therefore, according to the UN rules, support of two-third member-countries (129 nations) is required out of the total 193 member-nations, Ms Swaraj said in the Lok Sabha during Question Hour.

“It is not difficult to get the support of two-third member-nations. But when the issue of bearing the expenses comes, many small nations become hesitant which has led to a big hurdle in making Hindi an official languages of the UN,” Ms Swaraj was quoted as saying in the Lok Sabha, adding that despite this, the efforts are on.

When a Bharatiya Janata Party member said that India has to pay `40 crore as cost for making Hindi one of the languages in the UN, the minister the government is ready to pay “even `400 crore if required” but the world body’s rules does not allow to do so.