NE students continue protest over Hindi-MIL issue at Delhi
IMPHAL, April 10/Imphal Free Press: A mass protest was held by the students from North East India today at the University of Delhi from 1pm to 4 pm, informed a statement of the Naga Students’ Union under the banner of the North East Students’ Community Against Implementation of Compulsory Hindi/MILs in Delhi University.
The statement said around 2500 student protestors from different north east students organisations based in Delhi participated in the protest. The organizations involved were Arunachal Student’s Union, Delhi; All Assamese Student’s Association, Delhi; All Bodo Students Union, Delhi; Eastern Nagaland Students Union, Delhi; Kuki Students organisation, Delhi; Manipur Student’s Association, Delhi; Meghalaya Student’s Union, Delhi; Mishing Students Association, Delhi; Delhi Mizo Zirlai Pawl; Naga Student’s Union, Delhi; Sikkim Student’s Union, Delhi; Siamsinpawlpi-JHQ, Delhi; Tripura Student’s Forum, Delhi and the Zou Student Organization, Delhi.
The statement said the protestors gathered at the Arts faculty before proceeding towards the Vice-Chancellor's office at gate no.1.
The students protestors waited for several hours for the VCs office to directly address them and also receive there memorandum, it said before adding that in the absence of the VC, pro Vice Chancellor, Prof Pachuri, invited a delegation of student’s leaders into the VC’s office for deliberation.
Subsequently, the pro VC came out to the gate to briefly address the student protestors and received the memorandum.
He announced that the University has decided to offer a paper “literature in English” in lieu of Hindi, MIL, Arabic, Persian and Sanskrit under the foundation course, it said.
However this was out rightly rejected by the committee on the grounds that it had within it, clearly stated conditions valid for only those who had never studied Hindi/MIL in their course of education, said the statement.
“It now remains to be observed how the administration of Delhi University addresses the issues put forth and accordingly, this committee resolves to fight till its demands are met. The protesting crowd then dispersed with the assurance from the Pro VC that its issues will be put on priority and its demands will be addressed”, it concluded.
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NE students protest DU decision
Spl Correspondent/The Assam Tribune
NEW DELHI, April 10: Faced with protests by students of the North-east, Delhi University (DU) authorities on Wednesday assured that the decision to introduce Hindi would be reviewed.
The Pro Vice Chancellor of DU, after a day-long protest demonstration by the students of the North-east, assured that the authorities would review the decision. Hindi would not be imposed and DU would talk to the authorities in this regards.
Earlier, a large number of students staged a day-long demonstration in front of the office of the Vice Chancellor protesting the move to impose Hindi on students of the North-east.
The students had formed an organisation called North-east Students’ Committee against implementation of Compulsory Hindi and MIL in DU.
The Asian Centre for Human Rights had last week filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) protesting the move to introduce new language policy.
Under the DU’s existing rules, if a prospective student has not studied any of the 23 modern Indian languages (MIL), then they are allowed to opt for any other subject at the time of their admission. But a DU panel, while restructuring the syllabus for undergraduate courses, made it compulsory for the students to have at least one MIL.
According to ACHR, the move by the DU was a “clear violation of Article 14 of the Constitution relating to the Right to Equality and the UN Declaration on the Rights of the Minorities”.
Only three languages from the north-eastern region – Bodo, Assamese and Manipuri – are included in the Eight Schedule of the Constitution.
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NE students protest implementation of Hindi/MILs in DU
DIMAPUR, APR 10/Nagaland Post: Thousands of North East students under the banner “North East Students Community Against Implementation of Compulsory Hindi/MILs in Delhi University”, held a mass protest Wednesday afternoon in Delhi University campus and submitted a memorandum to the pro-vice chancellor, Prof. Pachuri.
The memorandum stated that “various North East states is represented by a mega-linguistic diversity, notwithstanding the fact that language is a composite and sensitive issue in politics and identity; North-Eastern states have their own language policy in educational set-ups, considering the fact that existing national language planning is incompatible with heterogeneous constituencies; contrary to popular perceptions, Hindi/MIL is evenly not implemented at Higher Secondary School Education level (10+2), least to mention, not even at Secondary School Education level (Matriculation); most of the students from North East studying at Delhi University are from different/respective Boards of School Education or Councils or Universities—where English is offered as both First, Second and Third Language(s)”
The memo signed by various students’ body also reminded that they were not proposing any special recognition—but for highlighting special circumstances in which NE educational schooling vis-à-vis language was radically different from the rest of the county.
“We strongly felt that the proposal for Compulsory Hindi/MIL Language is not optional; unaware of the educational situation in North East; and a breach of fundamental right to access and enjoyment of Higher Education” the memo stated. In the absence of the VC, the pro Vice Chancellor, Prof. Pachuri accepted the memorandum and deliberated on the matter with the students.
Following this, the pro VC announced that the University had decided to offer a paper “literature in English” in lieu of Hindi, MIL, Arabic, Persian and Sanskrit under the foundation course. However, the statement informed that it was out rightly rejected by the committee on the grounds that it had within it, clearly stated conditions valid for only those who had never studied Hindi/MIL in their course of education. The committee has resolved to fight till its demands were met. On the other hand, Pachuri assured that the issues would be put on priority and its demands addressed at the earliest.
The organizations include: Arunachal Student’s Union, All Assamese Student’s Association, All Bodo Students Union, Eastern Nagaland Students Union, Kuki Students Organization, Manipur Student’s Association, Meghalaya Student’s Union, Mishing Students Association, Delhi Mizo Zirlai Pawl, Naga Student’s Union, Sikkim Student’s Union, Siamsinpawlpi-JHQ, Tripura Student’s Forum and Zou Student Organization, all Delhi based.
Students from the North East stage protest march in Delhi University Campus, Wednesday