Imphal: Manipur University (MU) issued a notification directing all sections and departments of the institution to use Hindi in official noting and drafting.
Notably, the underground outfits in Manipur, like the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), have banned the use of Hindi in official works to resist the cultural influence of mainland India and to protest the perceived “Indianization” of the local culture.
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The notification, signed by the MU Registrar M Premjit Singh, states that the decision was taken during a meeting of the Official Language Implementation Committee held recently.
There would be a mandatory inspection quarterly to review the implementation and usage of Hindi across the University’s sections and departments.
The notification has been circulated to the Vice-Chancellor’s office, Finance Officer, Controller of Examinations, all deans, directors, officers, sectional heads, and other concerned officials of the Varsity.
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It also added that the step was in line with the Official Language Implementation Committee’s efforts to promote the use of Hindi as the official language in the university’s administrative functions.
This sentiment, which views Hindi as a language of the dominant Indian mainstream, led to a ban on Hindi films and cultural products in the 1990s and 2000s, impacting local cinema and public spaces.
Screening of Hindi films in Manipur, especially in the Imphal valley, has been banned for the past 30 years.
The impact of this issue is so high that the Hindi-related programmes in the All India Radio, Imphal, have almost scaled down currently.