Amid the debate over Hindi being imposed as the national language West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she would hold discussions with her counterparts in other states for a ‘collective decision’ on Hindi.
Mamata Banerjee on ‘Hindi’ debate
In between the heated up debate over a heightened pitch for Hindi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the common people should be asked for their opinion on it.
“Our country is a vast country with different languages and mother tongues. I am not going to say anything about this (debate over Hindi) because I have to discuss it with other chief ministers. There will be a collective decision,” Banerjee said at the state secretariat.
Amit Shah’s statement
Banerjee was replying to questions regarding Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent remarks over the importance of Hindi at an event in New Delhi.
Heading over the 37th meeting of the Parliamentary Official Language Committee earlier this month, Amit Shah had said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has determined that the medium of running the government is the official language, and this will definitely increase the importance of Hindi, according to a statement issued by the Union Home Ministry.
The Home Minister had also informed the members that now 70 percent of the agenda of the Cabinet is prepared in Hindi.