Mind our languages: Govt should avoid imposing Hindi

Seeking to impose a uniform language on the country is the surest way to encourage discord

At a time when the government is keen to establish India’s status in the international community, the 11th volume of the Report of the Official Language Committee, headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, appears to represent a big step back. Though the details of the parliamentary committee report are not in the public domain, information about some key recommendations suggests that Hindi is to be made the medium of instruction in Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institutes of Management (IIM), and central universities. The report has also suggested that the language of communication in the administration in northern