Vikash Sharma

Bhubaneswar: The recent directive of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhubaneswar to use Hindi language in official work and communication has not gone down well particularly with several political parties including the ruling-BJD and the Congress in the State.

Though AIIMS authorities could not be contacted, the notification is now doing rounds on social media. As per the notification, “The documents required to be issued bilingually under section 3(3) of O.L. Act 1963 and the letters required to be issued only in Hindi under the O.L. Rules 1976 should be drafted in Hindi originally by the employees proficient in Hindi compulsorily and by the employees having working knowledge of Hindi to the possible extent in the offices.”

The directive further states that “All employees should sign in Hindi, write name and subject on all files in Hindi, write name and sub headings of the registers in Hindi and also make entries in Hindi.”

“30% noting and drafting should be in Hindi, 55% correspondence in Hindi, all the bilingual forms used in office should be in Hindi and replies to all letters received in Hindi. Discussion may be in Hindi in all administrative meetings and prepare the minutes in Hindi as far as possible,” the notification read.

Such directive has been vehemently opposed by several political parties including the ruling-Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Congress.

Senior BJD leader and Puri MP Pinaki Mishra said that Odisha is the first State to be formed on linguistic basis and we would not like to allow anybody sidelining our mother tongue, particularly by any institution that is working for the people of our state.

“We will insist on Odia being used since our people are familiar with it and that will make their task of availing services at AIIMS easier. We will formally lodge our protest with the Health Ministry and ask for a change in this directive,” tweeted Mishra.

Odisha Congress chief Niranjan Patnaik tweeted, “The circular issued by AIIMS, Bhubaneswar imposing Hindi, is an insult to the Odia language and the rich & vibrant culture of #Odisha. There is no place for #HindiImposition in our state. The party will not allow this to happen.”

“Modi govt must brush off its Hindi-chauvinist mindset and should promote #Odia language, which has been deliberately neglected at the national level despite being a classical language,” tweeted Patnaik.

 

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