Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed his strong displeasure on Wednesday over a government school’s library signboard bearing an inscription in English. The incident occurred during his visit to Banka district, approximately 250 kilometers from the state capital, Patna, following an inspection of a bridge in the adjoining Jamui district, which had suffered damage due to heavy rainfall last week.
In Banka, Mr. Kumar inaugurated a newly constructed hospital and inspected a recently renovated indoor stadium before visiting a local high school. It was during this visit that he expressed his concerns upon seeing the signboard, which identified the facility as a “digital library.”
“Why is this not in Hindi? We are not living in the British era,” Mr. Kumar conveyed to the District Magistrate, Anshul Kumar, who was present at the site.
The Chief Minister, who is the longest-serving leader in Bihar’s history, clarified, “Look, I have nothing against English. It was the medium of my instruction while I was studying engineering. Many of my speeches in Parliament, too, were in that language.” He continued, “But, at one point, I decided to promote the use of Hindi. I, therefore, gave up putting my signature in English. Please get this signboard changed at the earliest.”
Assured by the District Magistrate, Mr. Kumar was informed that the necessary changes would be made “today itself.”
Mr. Kumar, a septuagenarian, attributes his strong advocacy for Hindi to his ideological devotion to the late socialist stalwart Ram Manohar Lohia. This is not the first time he has publicly voiced his displeasure over the use of English. In February, he reprimanded an agricultural entrepreneur for using “too many English words” during a presentation. A month later, during a session in the state legislative council, he chided Chairman Devesh Chandra Thakur, a member of his party Janata Dal (United), for displaying words like “honorable” and “speaking time” on the electronic display board.
The Chief Minister was accompanied by cabinet colleagues and top government officials during his tour of the two districts.
News Summary:
- Bihar CM Nitish Kumar expressed dissatisfaction over an English signboard at a government school’s library during his visit to Banka district.
- Mr. Kumar, while advocating for Hindi, emphasized that he had nothing against English, as it was the medium of his engineering education and parliamentary speeches.
- The District Magistrate assured Mr. Kumar that the signboard would be changed promptly.
- Nitish Kumar’s strong preference for Hindi is influenced by his admiration for the late socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia.
- This incident is not the first time the Chief Minister has criticized the use of English in public settings.
