Opposition Politicises Issue of Hindi Language in Education Policy

Rahul Gandhi and allies oppose Hindi in education, sparking debate over language, identity, and politics.

- Alok Mehta New Delhi

The Indian National Congress, led by Rahul Gandhi, along with its allies like M.K. Stalin from Tamil Nadu, Uddhav Thackeray from Maharashtra, and Sharad Pawar, are aggressively campaigning against the importance of Hindi and Indian languages in education for electoral gains.

Under the new education policy, several states have already implemented education in Hindi and regional mother tongues up to the age of eight.

Interestingly, Sanskrit has had an inseparable connection with Tamil, Marathi, Hindi, and other Indian languages. Freedom fighters and constitution-makers were strong supporters of these languages.

Hindi is spoken in more than 150 countries worldwide. Moreover, Hindi is taught in over 200 universities across the globe. Approximately one billion people understand and speak Hindi, yet some political leaders, driven by regional interests, are making every possible effort to confuse and incite the public.

In this context, Home Minister Amit Shah recently said at the Golden Jubilee celebration of the Department of Official Language that Hindi is not opposed to any Indian language but is a friend to all. He emphasized that we should take pride in our mother tongue and encourage thinking, speaking, and expressing in it.

Shah appealed to all state governments to introduce higher education—such as medical and engineering studies—in local languages. He assured that the central government would provide all necessary support to states in this regard.

The Home Minister also stressed the increased use of Indian languages in administrative functions. Languages, he said, can elevate the country's cultural self-esteem, and we must liberate ourselves from the mindset of mental slavery.