BJP leaders say time is right for 'One Nation One Language'
As a controversy erupted after Union Home Minister Amit Shah commented that Hindi should be accepted as an alternative language to English but not to local languages, the BJP, criticising the opposition parties, said that it is the right time to go for 'One Nation One Language.
Presiding over the 37th meeting of Parliamentary Official Language Committee on April 7, Shah had said, "Hindi should be accepted as an alternative language to English but not to local languages."
Former MP from Kerala and BJP national vice-president A P Abdullakutty told reporters that with a little support from the Central government, the country can go for 'One Nation One Language' like 'One Nation, One Tax' for communication purposes.
Abdullakutty claimed that due to increasing influence of
Hindi cinema, social media, and new technology, majority of the new generation in Tamil Nadu and Kerala are speaking better Hindi.
"In my family, the younger generation are speaking better Hindi than me. With a little support from the Central government we can go for 'One Nation One Language,' Abdullakutty said.
"Hindi is not only an Indian language but also an international language. The Narendra Modi government is not against regional languages but is supporting regional languages. NEET, CAT and other competitive exams are held in regional languages," Abdullakutty said.
Hindi gets a big boost at Centre
Official language Hindi got a bigger push after 2014 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to opt for Hindi as the medium of running the government and this has definitely increased the importance of Hindi, officials said.
They said that now the time has come to make the Official Language an important part of the unity of the country.
More focus is being put on Hindi and officials have been encouraged to use it as the language of communication for all the correspondence, they stated.
The officials added that all the ministers and Prime Minister Modi address officials' meetings in Hindi and all the government releases are made in Hindi and then get translated into English.
Cong to oppose Hindi 'imposition'
The Congress is gearing up to oppose move to implement Hindi in the non-speaking states after a controversy erupted since Union home minister Amit Shah said that Hindi should be accepted as an alternative language to English. The Congress said the BJP is testing the waters by creating an issue and promoting division in the country but the party will oppose any such move.