Tongpang Ozukum, Minister of Public Works Department (PWD) in Nagaland, suggested that learning Hindi will help the people of his state in connecting with the rest of the people of India.
According to a report, Ozukum said that he thinks learning Hindi is the right step for the tribal state which has its own linguistic culture, to strike conversations with the outside world. He added that Hindi is one language that hinders the Nagas from communicating with people from other parts of India. He said learning Hindi will benefit then in progressing forward and be at par with other states of the country.
“We can’t remain in cocoon for long,” Ozukum asserted.
Ozukum however, clarified that he was talking from a personal viewpoint and experience and that he wasn’t trying to stand up for other states and their leaders on this matter.
“I cannot speak on behalf of other states but I am talking from my personal experience, when we go out of Nagaland we find it difficult to converse with other people. It is not only important to converse with people in English, sometimes we have to speak Hindi too. So I wish my people should learn Hindi and should know how to read, write and speak the language,” he said.
The PWD minister added that he will suggest the lower-level administration in his state to ensure learning Hindi becomes compulsory.
“So far I have not made any such suggestion to the government of Nagaland but I will do so for lower-level administration now,” he said.
He pointed out that making Hindi a compulsory language is not wrong as it is not about accepting a religion but a language that will enable the people of his North-Eastern state in breaking barriers and enabling them to converse with the rest of the people from across the country.