NCERT Hindi Titles Cause Language Diversity Row

Taking a decision that has set off a controversy storm, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has added Hindi titles to English-medium textbooks. The decision, one of the roll-out plans of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, has been ferociously attacked, primarily by non-Hindi states.

At the center of the storm are the new titles themselves. Class 1 and 2 English textbooks have been named 'Mridang', and that of Class 3 has become 'Santoor'. The Class 6 English textbook 'Honeysuckle' is now 'Poorvi'. Although the idea behind this step might be to promote linguistic diversity, its critics say that it does the reverse.

Kerala General Education and Employment Minister V Sivankutty has been one of the loudest voices opposing the move. He referred to the renaming as an "ignorance of India's linguistic diversity" and argued that it was against the federal spirit of the Constitution. Sivankutty explained that titles of books deeply influence the imagination and mind of children, and it is a wrong effort to homogenize India's linguistic richness by enforcing Hindi book titles on English textbooks.

Similar concerns have also been expressed in Tamil Nadu, where there have been recurring complaints of "Hindi imposition" following the NEP. Chief Minister MK Stalin has accused the central government of denying funds to schools which are not being victims of the imposition of the three-language formula as prescribed by the policy.

While the debate rages on, it has once again brought to the fore the complex and controversial question of language in education. In a country as linguistically diverse as India, the question of what language to teach is a highly politicized one. While some argue that promoting the use of Hindi as a link language will be a step towards bridging cultural divides between multicultural groups, others argue that it is part of a process of movement towards a hegemonizing language imposing itself upon marginalized communities. With its recent move being a lightning rod for protests and bad publicity, however, the question of language in education by no means resolved, it seems.

Lastly, the choice of what language to employ for educational purposes should be done in light of values of social justice, inclusivity, and diversity. Through listening to all the stakeholders' complains and engaging in an enlightened and thoughtful conversation, we can endeavor to come up with an education system that best addresses the linguistic diverseness of the nation.