Governor’s tryst with Hindi-isation falters

Morung Express News
Dimapur | September 14  

Irony was not lost when Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh Governor, PB Acharya, was compelled to revert to English after his tryst with Hindi-isation faltered.  

Acharya was at a cultural event in Dimapur’s NEZCC complex where he was leading the delivery of a new mantra the BJP-led central government has introduced—the ‘New India’ pledge.  

As he started off administering the pledge in Hindi, the Governor realized that few in the audience, comprised mostly of students, were following him in taking the pledge. Quickly, he reverted to English and found following.  

The students had gathered to attend a cultural event, ‘Sankalp se Siddhi’ (Attainment through Resolve), at the Stone Garden in NEZCC Complex in Diphupar on Thursday.  

He was luckier when he signed off with his “Bharat Mata Ki…” which the audience responded effusively with a “Jai.” In totality, the chant means, ‘Victory to Mother India.’  

By taking the pledge, the government hopes the Indian Union will be freed of “corruption, poverty, terrorism, communalism and casteism” by 2022.  

The Union Minister for State of Art & Culture, Dr. Mahesh Sharma, was not to be left behind, bringing greetings to the young minds from the “Great Prime Minister Narendra Modi.” His greetings were met with enthusiastic response from the students.  

Speaking on the pledge to build a ‘New India’, the Junior Minister remained in electioneering mode, promoting Modi as a “visionary leader” and comparing him to the likes of MK Gandhi, BR Ambedkar, Swami Vivekanda and others.  

Neither highlighted the real life measures the government will take to uproot entrenched structures like caste or promote cooperation among diverse communities in India even as Hindi, and its affiliated culture, hovers as an overarching compulsion.  

Governor of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh PB Acharya who was the chief guest on the occasion administered the “New India Pledge” which among others pledged to build poverty and corruption free India. The New India pledge is a commemoration of 75 years of ‘Quit India Movement 1942’.