IT IS TRUE, HINDI IS THE NATIONAL LANGUAGE OF INDIA.

BUT IT IS NOT THE MOTHER TONGUE OF ALL INDIANS

(We love our great India. We all love our great mother India that accommodates, and stands for, all diversities within with its great vision of oneness in diversity. We are, and have to be, really proud to be Indians, with its ancient history, visions and visionaries. But all that should not mean, children of below 10 years old, whose parents do not speak Hindi as their mother tongue, have to be imposed with Hindi as a language, with the recent most origin, on all in India.) 

It may be thought to be great to have excuses and make excuses. It may also be thought great to evade the questions without answering them. And it is always easy to put blame on others, than owning, and easily say CBSE syllabus is like this and that.

But greater and wiser attitude will be to act proactively and to proactively make suggestions and corrections with reasons and logics, than making logics and reasons for our excuses of putting blame on others. And greater responsibility of CBSE will be to make sure it is addressing the real issues encountered by the children than pursuing the propagation and imposition of Hindi, a language with the most recent origin. India is greater than Hindi language.

So, this letter/representation is made out of our sheer helplessness to raise hereby the following on subject matter of teaching of Hindi as a compulsory subject in CBSE Schools from UKG onwards. This representation is also made to address the real issues that our children face in their  education process due to unwanted imposition of burdens of Hindi (as one more language with least influence in their life and career) that haunt them cruelly from their very childhood onwards, especially if the children are from non-Hindi speaking states/parents. We believe India has got deeper and greater history than Hindi as a language.

1.  It is true; Hindi is national language of India. But it also true, Hindi, as a language, is not the mother tongue of all Indians. India is more than and greater than Hindi language. It is cruel to confine or identify India only with Hindi language.

2. Learning doesn’t mean, learning a lot number of languages. Languages are just packets. What would really matter is the quality and sweetness of the biscuits inside the packets.

3. We understand, CBSE is a workable syllabus (and has to be so), intended and designed for all Indians, even for those who are abroad, acknowledging, accepting and appreciating the very Indian vision and culture of oneness in diversity, be it in the case of region, or religion or language. It is also easily understandable that to know India and Indian culture and vision to learn Hindi, a language which has the most recent origin, is not a must.

4.   We are not sure whether it is CBSE or CBSE Schools who are imposing Hindi as a compulsory subject on all non-Hindi people from UKG onwards, even when they are abroad, and even when they opt medium of their learning as English (not Hindi). We think it is very illogical and unwise to implement and impose Hindi where the medium of teaching and learning is English and majority of the students are non-Hindi speaking.

5.   We understand, unless it is their mother tongue, Hindi has not to be imposed on children. CBSE schools are not imposing, or at least not even introducing, many other national things, which are easier and logical for them to introduce, implement and impose as national items/things. Cricket is the only game in which India excels, as of now. Why don’t CBSE at least introduce it in all CBSE schools (even abroad), even optionally? Why don’t CBSE schools teach and coach the children our national sport of Kabady?

6.  We are made to understand that imposing of Hindi as a compulsory language is the problem/policy of certain CBSE schools only and it is the inability of such schools to cater to the needs, choices and tastes of its students. If so, we understand that it should be avoided and corrected from within CBSE schools, not CBSE. If not so, it should be corrected from CBSE.

7.   Anywhere in this world, in any case, there will be options and choices, except in the case of one’s birth or on medium of learning once opted thereby. But in the case of learning or not learning Hindi by non-Hindi children in CBSE school, after they have opted English as their medium of learning, why can’t there be given option and choice to avoid Hindi from their compulsory curriculum? Our children are being compelled to carry beyond their capacity and strength, which has proved to be wrong and foolish throughout the history.

8.  No language can be taught just by and through the books by making them part of curriculum. Language is learned from, first of all form one’s mother, then from the society which one is living in. Hindi as a language is equal to three languages when considering the number of alphabets and other linguistic technicalities it has got as a language. Tougher to learn and lesser its utility.

9.  As we all know, Hindi is not a subject, but is only one of the many languages (one of the many means or packets). So children have to get all the right to choose or not to choose it. But, what we are practically seeing in CBSE Schools is that Hindi is imposed on children with more texts than any other subject has.  And this relentless effort of imposing Hindi has been failing throughout to get any intended gain.

10.   Hindi as a language to be learned by non-Hindi people doesn’t worth the effort put for the same. This language is not going to have any relevance or influence in their life or career. The children from non-Hindi belt have to learn their own mother tongue (plus the language of their religious affiliation, if any). Children are made to be like donkeys to take up only the burden of packets, without any fruit or biscuits in it or from it. 

11.  CBSE, thinking from Delhi, may not have (or feel) any conflict, in relation to the Hindi language, that innocent children are facing on day to day basis. CBSE Schools situated in Delhi or anywhere in Delhi may not face this problem. But CBSE should not be a system/method designed only for the people of Delhi or north Indians.

12. CBSE school in Kuwait or gulf countries or USA or UK is an school situating outside India. It is accommodating all Indians of different states in India and other nationals. Usually, any school located in certain place will have the chance of teaching the children the language of that locality only. And it won’t be tough for them to learn and follow their speaking language of their locality. But here it is different. So, the local language of Hindi belt (north India) has not to be a haunting ghost for non-Hindi children.

13.  If India was a country of one and only language, it would be logical to implement a syllabus/curriculum compelling all to learn that only language. In that event, there will arise no conflict. But, unfortunately it is not the case and reality. And Indian constitution acknowledges and respects the diversity in our country and the diversity of the languages as well. Even Indian currency note is trying to carry and accommodate in it as many languages as it can.

14. Children have a very simple question. Should they be compelled to learn any language by-heart without understanding its meaning? The teachers in CBSE schools (or anywhere) can’t and do not make sure that the students understand the meaning of the lessons in Hindi they give. They take it for granted as they are from Hindi belt, as they are like them and their children. Like the children are sons and daughters of Hindi speaking people.

15. We love our great India. We all love our great mother India that accommodates, and stands for, all diversities within with its great vision of oneness in diversity. We are, and have to be, really proud to be Indians, with its ancient history, visions and visionaries. But all that should not mean, children of below 10 years old, whose parents do not speak Hindi as their mother tongue, have to be imposed with Hindi as a language, with the recent most origin, on all in India.

Hope, at least to this our concern, you would give us a kind reply  and will act proactively or help us to act pro-actively to move further to the concerned higher officials and authorities to help them open up their eyes, that happened to be closed by mistake.

Jai Hind.

With kind regards,