FOLLOW LIBERAL POLICY TOWARDS LINGUISTIC
MINORITIES, SUGGESTS NCLM REPORT
The problems of linguistic
minorities are more acute in the linguistic islands and border
areas. This has been observed in the 38th Annual Report
of the National Commissioner for Linguistics Minorities. The Report
suggested a liberal policy to be followed so that linguistic minorities
do not feel neglected. The Report has recommended that the State
Governments may post such officials as can understand and express
themselves in the minority language of that area. It also recommends
that State Governments should not only fully implement the agreed
norms and safeguards for linguistic minorities but even relax
the minimum percentage of people for such relief. In one other
recommendation, the Report says that action should be taken for
development on Tribal languages so that this important section
of population is not at a disadvantage. The Report also recommends
that each State/ Union Territory should have a dependable machinery
in the form of a Committee headed by a Senior Officer to monitor
the actual implementation of safeguards and should include senior
representatives of various departments concerned with these safeguards.
Highlighting the importance of safeguards, the Report says that
16.89% the country’s population is part of linguistic minority
of one state or the other.
The 38th
Annual Report pertains to the period from July 1999 to June 2000.
It was placed in both Houses of Parliament during the recently
concluded Monsoon Session after it has been presented to the President.
