Not imposing Hindi, Centre clarifies

"There is a report in a section of media that the Central Government is trying to impose Hindi language. In this regard reference was given to the Resolution issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of Official Language and it was alleged that it has been made mandatory for Members of Parliament and Ministers knowing Hindi to deliver their speeches/statements in Hindi," the Centre said in a statement.

The Committee of Parliament on Official Language was constituted in 1976 and is working since then.

This Committee has submitted 9 parts of its report. The 9th part of the Committee’s report was submitted to the President of India on 2nd June, 2011.

The then Chairman of the Committee and Deputy Chairman of the Committee had given 117 recommendations.

As views of all state governments and Ministries/Departments of the Central Government were to be invited on the Committee’s recommendations, it took time before the recommendations were considered and accepted by the President, the statement further said.

"The Central Government while accepting the above mentioned recommendation has issued a Resolution dated 31st March 2017. The Recommendation by the Committee is amply clear as it is in the form of a request and does not entail any form of Order/Instruction. The aforementioned recommendation is in pursuance with Constitutional and Statutory provisions regarding the progressive use of Official Language Hindi. Also, the recommendation is based on the policy of propagation; promotion of Official language through motivation & inspiration which is in line with the Government’s Policy," the Centre issued statement said.

After the protest over the writing of Hindi letters in the milestones of the national highway in Tamil Nadu, DMK leader M K Stalin recently lashed out at the centre amid reports of imposing Hindi in every aspects of the country.

Stalin recently unsparingly attacked Modi for the imposition of Hindi language through different ways in the country, ever since he has ascended to the post of the Prime Minster.

Making the PM responsible for such an imposition, the DMK leader said that such attempts would "decimate" the unity of the nation.

He even said that the delivery of speeches by all union minsters in Hindi as well as the decision to make the study of this language compulsory in all the Central Board of  Secondary Education (CBSE) affiliated schools are reflections of such an attempt by the centre.