Bhubaneswar: Urdu language experts at a meeting here Thursday expressed concern over imposition of Hindi on non-native speakers.
Experts at the meeting organised by National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language pointed out that imposing the language on non-native speakers will affect the multi-lingual dynamics of the country. The participants also demanded a helpdesk for regional languages in all government offices.
“We are not against the promotion of Hindi language. We are opposing its forced imposition on non-native speakers. At present, most of the Central government offices have a Rajbhasha adhikari or an official language officer. We are demanding a similar officer for the respective regional languages in all states. For instance, the Central government offices in Orissa can have an officer for Oriya language. This will promote regional languages and would help its users too,” said Shaikh Quraish, an eminent Urdu language expert.
Similarly, the participants raised concern about the undue importance given to Hindi and its promotion as a national language.
“Hindi is not our national language and we are against its promotion as a national language. In fact, it is one of the languages in our country. So, promoting one language and ignoring others is unconstitutional. Technically, imposing the learning of a language on non-speakers will result in the loss of interest in that language,” added Quraish.
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