The language barrier has once again become a bone of contention between the BJP-led Government at the Centre and the PU Zoramthanga-led Mizo National Front (MNF) Government in the State. The Chief Minister has urged the Union Home Minister Amit Shah to replace his chief secretary Renu Sharma, a 1988 batch officer, saying she does not have a working knowledge of the Mizo language and while State Ministers do not follow Hindi, some even do not even understand English. The MNF is also a constituent of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The latest language controversy hit the State after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) appointed Sharma as Mizoram’s new chief secretary, ignoring Zoramthanga’s request to elevate additional chief secretary J C Ramthanga to the post. Sharma assumed charge on November 1, succeeding Lalnunmawia Chuaungo, who took voluntary retirement.
Chuaungo had succeeded Arvind Ray, an IAS officer of the 1984 batch as the Chief Secretary. Whether or not Ray was familiar with the Mizo language could not be ascertained. But there are several officers of AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and all Union Territories) cadre posted in Mizoram and who are not familiar with the local language.
A former bureaucrat who was posted in Mizoram said that the working language in the secretariat is English. “There are several officials posted in the State of AGMUT cadre. Language is a problem but most of the work is being done in English,” he said adding that MNF prefers mizo officials by and large.
Sharma, along with Rajiv Verma, a 1992 batch officer, was suspended by the MHA for dereliction of duty during the coronavirus outbreak after she failed to ensure public health standards and strict compliance of the lockdown rules, last year.
In a letter to Home Minister on October 29, the Chief Minister said the Ministry of Home Affairs appointed Renu Sharma as the State’s Chief Secretary when his Government wanted to promote Additional Chief Secretary J.C. Ramthanga to the post.
“The Mizo people by and large generally do not understand Hindi. None of my Cabinet Ministers understand Hindi. Some of them even have a problem with English. With such a background, a Chief Secretary without the knowledge of a working standard Mizo language will never be effective and efficient,” Zoramthanga wrote.
“Whether it is the UPA Government or the NDA Government at the Centre, this has been a practice since the creation of Mizoram State. It is a well-known fact that in other States of India, a chief secretary, who does not know even the basic working language of the respective State, is never posted (there) at all,” read the letter.
In his letter, Zoramthanga said never in the past, since the creation of Mizoram, the Centre has posted a chief secretary who did not have working knowledge of the Mizo language.
“I have been an NDA partner from the beginning up to this time. While many of the States are changing themselves from one alliance group to another, I am the only one in the whole of Northeast who has been a faithful partner of the NDA. I, therefore, believe that I deserve a special favour and consideration for this faithful friendship with the NDA,” he wrote.
“Considering all these facts and circumstances, the proposal of Chief Secretary, which was given even to my predecessor Congress Chief Minister, if it is denied to me, the Congress party and all other Opposition parties will make a mockery of me for faithfully serving the partnership of NDA. I, therefore, earnestly request you to modify the order and kindly accept my proposal,” Zoramthanga said.
This is not the first time that language has become an administrative flashpoint between the Centre and the State Government.
In 2014, immediately after the BJP came to power at Centre, a similar problem cropped up when Kamla Beniwal had to be shunted out of Mizoram Raj Bhawan within two months of her appointment for the same reason.
Last year, in April, Zoramthnga found himself in a similar situation when Modi convened a meeting with Chief Ministers of nine States, including Mizoram, to discuss the impact of pandemic and extension of a national lockdown. Emerging from the virtual meeting, Zoramthnga said he could not understand anything as “they were all speaking in Hindi.”