New Delhi: Opposition leaders on Thursday criticised the central government for imposing Hindi through the introduction of new bills titled in the language. During a discussion in the Rajya Sabha, the NDA-led government’s bench hit back, accusing the opposition of clinging to a colonial mindset.
The debate centred around the Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, 2024, a bill designed to replace the 90-year-old Aircraft Act. Trinamool Congress leader Sagarika Ghose objected to the bill’s name, while a YSRCP leader urged the government to reconsider its “nomenclature.” The bill aims to enhance ease of doing business and attract new investments to the aviation sector.
Ghose slams “Hindification” of laws
Ghose asked the growing use of Hindi names for laws, saying it was a form of “Hindi imposition.” She said that while the 2024 mandate was for “diversity, dividend and federalism,” the government remained focused on what she called the “Hindification of laws.” She also highlighted the replacement of the Indian Penal Code with the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the shift of the Indian Aircraft Act to the Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak.
DMK MP Kanimozhi NVN Somu also had similar concern. She urged the government to reconsider the title of the Aircraft Bill. “Don’t impose Hindi on people who don’t speak it,” she said, requesting the Union government avoid naming bills in Hindi or Sanskrit.
DMK, YSRCP raise concerns over Hindi in law title
The DMK has long expressed opposition to the promotion of Hindi in Tamil Nadu, with the ruling party voicing strong objections to the use of the language in official matters in the state. YSRCP’s S Niranjan Reddy also called for a reconsideration of the bill’s name, not due to concerns over Hindi imposition, but because of a constitutional requirement that the title, introduced in English, cannot be in Hindi.
