A village in Kerala, Chelannur, Kozhikode, Kerala will become a Hindi-literate panchayat before the Republic day of 2024. With this, it will become the first village in South India to become 100% literate in Hindi, authorities claimed.
How the village in Kerala decided to become 100% literate in Hindi?
The village Chelannur in Kozhikode decided to become 100% literate in Hindi. The people there found a new love for Hindi. A village resident, Septuagenarian Janaki Amma said she picked up Hindi very quickly. She learned the brief sentences effortlessly in Hindi, she added.
There was a time when Kerala and Tamil Nadu together were opposing Hindi as the official language of India. There were also heated debates over “Hindi” being imposed as the national language of India.
On this issue, Janaki Amma (one of the villagers of Chelannur village) made a statement in Hindi, “Ek Thandi Andheri Raat Sadak pe jar aha hai”. The English translation of this will be going down the road on a cold dark night. This sentence was repeated by her several times in an exciting way because the instructor taught this same sentence.
How did the initiation of teaching Hindi in the village affect the villagers?
The communication in Hindi in the village took a huge turn through the initiation. According to the ruling party of Chelannur, the main agenda behind teaching Hindi to the villagers is to make Chelannur a 100% literate panchayat before Republic day, 2024. As per the sources, this was completely a unique initiative by the ruling party where the human resource was completely utilized.
The main task of the ruling party, Congress was to ask permission from the villagers so that they may educate people in Hindi. One of the main reasons behind introducing Hindi to villagers is that most of the population in Chelannur is migrant workers. People of every age group had to learn Hindi in the village. From children to 72-year-old Janaki Amma too learned Hindi.
The controversy of the language debate
There was a suggestion made in the parliamentary discussion. The request was to make Hindi the official language of the nation. However, this suggestion is hugely opposed by states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu. In spite of this, the Kerala village, Chelannur made an attempt to make itself 100% literate in Hindi.
How did the Hindi classes start?
As per the reports, there was a survey conducted among 15000 villagers in Chelanur where they were asked about Hindi. 9000 of them could not read or write Hindi. Hence, a decision was made on the same.
The Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority and Sarva Shikha Abhiyan (SSA) jointly extended their support towards teaching them Hindi.
Currently, 94-96 classes are being held in the panchayat. In each class there are approximately 25 to 30 students, These classes take place every week. The project teaching is funded with an amount of Rs. 50000 for this year and Rs. 25000 in 2021, said the authorities.
Chelannur is a small village, 12 km away from Kozhikode. With this, Chelannur becomes the first 100% literate village in Kozhikode since 1991.
