Dimapur: The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) on Saturday appealed to the party high command to intervene and ensure that Union home minister Amit Shah’s recent statement that “in this country, those who speak English will soon feel ashamed …” is properly addressed and corrected in the interest of national harmony and unity.
Expressing shock over Shah’s statement, NPCC president and Lok Sabha MP S Supongmeren Jamir on Saturday wrote a letter to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, stating that the Union minister’s statement can have far-reaching implications and may impact policy decisions.
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The letter said the NPCC is deeply concerned that Nagaland, with its 16 major tribes and diverse linguistic landscape, would be disproportionately affected as English is the primary medium of communication across tribal groups.
“That any shift away from English could severely hinder official communication and jeopardise the rights of the people of Nagaland as equal partners in the country’s development,” the NPCC said.
It said the minister’s statement revealed a disturbing lack of understanding and appreciation for the linguistic diversity that enriches our nation.
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The NPCC sought to point out that during the Janata Dal regime, the then PM Moraraji Desai tried to do away with all smaller states and Union territories of the north eastern region and also deliberately tried to target the religious freedom of the minorities, especially against the Christians, by introducing the Freedom of Religion Bill.
However, the foresight and leadership of the then Congress president Indira Gandhi prevented this move, ensuring the protection of minority rights and regional identities, after a high-level delegation of hill leaders of the Congress Party met her in New Delhi on October 12, 1978.