Hindi mandatory in DU: Northeastern students write to VC

Without any official notice from the VC, Hindi has been made compulsory as a subject in DU colleges.  Many rejected the idea among who Northeastern students stood first in line.

Northeastern students from across campus wrote a letter to their Vice Chancellor last week regarding the same stating that the “compulsory “ condition should be removed as many students cannot understand the language at all.

The circular in few college notice boards read as follows: as per university rules Compulsory Test in Hindi (CTH) is compulsory for all Indian students of DU (BA, BCom, BSc, both hons and programme courses).

The VC has not uploaded any official notice on the website, but based on an academic council meeting held on July 19, where the matter was discussed, the programme was implemented in some colleges since August 11, said C Thanglenmang Doungel, president North East Students Society Delhi University.
 Many colleges like, Zakir Hussain, PGDAV and Shivaji college have already started their classes. Last week, Vivekananda College’s northeastern students went to their principal pleading her to scrap Hindi classes.

Dr Ramananda Singh Mayanglambam, professor Kirori Mal College, nodal officer of northeastern cell, and also part of the academic council of DU said, “I was there in the academic council meeting and I rejected the idea and many supported me. But when the minutes of the meeting were out I saw that my argument was missing.”

There was no executive meeting held after the academic meeting which is mandatory, and the programme has already started, he said.

He has joined the students in their protest against implementation of the programme. He himself wrote a letter to the Dean of Students’ Welfare requesting him to look into the matter. But there has been no revert yet, he said.

In PGDAV, Northeastern students are skipping Hindi classes along with some Afghani students, said T Raisung, president PGDAV’s northeastern cell.

“Northeast cell in DU is already suffering because of low funds. We are informally working for northeastern students’ welfare. “During Delhi University Students’ Union elections tall promises are made for NE students but nothing is ever done,” said Dr Kamei Aphun, nodal officer NESSDU, Delhi School of Economics.

This year both ABVP and NSUI proposed strengthening of northeastern cells in Delhi University in their manifestos. Every year since 2013, the programme of Hindi to be made a compulsory subject in DU is proposed but never implemented.