SHILLONG, April 14: Education Minister, Lahkmen Rymbui has Thursday said Hindi language should not be imposed on states and if there is a need people will learn the language on their own.
Speaking to media persons here, Rymbui recalled that during the introduction of the National Education policy, 2020 the state government had written to the Centre on the three language formula and it was clarified by the Centre that ‘status quo’ has to be maintained.
Making it clear that the state has not received any notification from the centre on making Hindi compulsory up to Class X, Rymbui pointed out that Hindi is third on the list of the most spoken languages in the world and learning Hindi will empower people but it should not be imposed.
He, however, stressed on the need for people to learn new languages saying there are many schools in Khasi-Jaintia Hills where the medium of learning is Garo while in many areas of Garo Hills the medium of teaching and learning is Assamese.
“There is a need for Khasis to learn Garo and similarly, there is a need for Garos to learn Assamese,” Rymbui said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had created a political storm in the region after he said 22,000 Hindi teachers have been recruited in the eight Northeastern states, which agreed to make Hindi compulsory up to Class X.
Shah had also stated nine tribes of the region converted the script of their dialects to Devanagari.