Mumbai: The Government Resolution (GR) issued on Monday by the state government to reconstitute the Maharashtra State Hindi Sahitya Academy has sparked a fresh controversy.
The opposition has slammed the Shinde Fadnavis government as the government resolution released by the department of tourism and culture in the introduction itself has mentioned Hindi is the ‘’national language.’’ The opposition has claimed that Hindi was never and is not the national language and the Government of India has never given the status of ‘’national language’’ to any language. They also drew the state government’s attention that although there is a perception that Hindi is the '‘national language’’ due to its most formal use across India, it is only a perception as there is no official document to prove it.
Congress NCP, MNS slam state govt
‘’Hindi Sahitya Academy has been established in the state for the promotion and stimulation of Hindi literature as Hindi is the ‘’national language,’’ reads the government resolution. It further said that the reconstitution of the Maharashtra Hindi Sagitta Academy was under consideration and thereby it has been done with the appointment of three government members, including the minister of cultural affairs, secretary of the cultural affairs and joint director of the Academy as the member secretary. The government has appointed 28 non- government members of the Academy which is headed by the minister for cultural affairs. The government resolution was signed by deputy secretary Mr Vikas Thorat.
The Congress, NCP and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena took to twitter to criticise the state government and asked when Hindi became the national language.
‘’When did Hindi become the national language of the country?Has BJP now started imposing language along with its ideology?’’asked the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee through its twitter handle.
‘’No language has been given the status of national language in the Indian constitution. A country as rich in diversity as India has many languages and dialects. Therefore, no language has been given the status of national language. However, Article 343 (1) of the 17th Schedule of the Constitution recognizes Hindi as the language of official administrative use along with English, which does not necessarily mean that it is the national language,’’ said a senior Congress leader.
Awhad claims ignorance on part of govt
NCP legislator and former minister Mr Jitendra Awad has expressed his surprise and asked, ‘’Shouldn't the Maharashtra government know that Hindi is not the national language?’’
The Marathi Ekikaran Samiti has also tweeted and raised the question whether ministers and officials really intelligent.
MNS leader Mr Anil Shidore in a tweet said, ‘’The first sentence in the introduction of the government decision is "Since Hindi is the national language." When was Hindi declared the national language? We understand that Hindi is the administrative language or official language of the government along with English.. Please clarify,’’ he noted.
The opposition has reminded that the state government in the past on several occasions had withdrawn the government resolutions issued earlier due to various errors and mistakes. They wanted to know whether the government would amend the government resolution on the reconstitution of the Maharashtra Hindi Sahitya Academy.
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