Language Politics

The last post on our blog on languages has made me think on some of the utterances of Swami Ramdeo.
All our blog readers may have been astonished at my regularly advocating all to watch Swami Ramdeo’s programmes and practicing Yoga.
I assure you I have no axe to grind. My only reason for doing so is I have gained a lot by living a stress-free and healthy life and would like all of you to do so.
Recently, when my daughter-in-law was unwell I took her to Swamiji’s Ayurvedic medicine shop. They keep a Vaid (Ayurvedic Medical Practitioner) who advises you free of cost on the medicines to take. My daughter-in-law is much better now.
I would advise every one to give Ayurvedic medicines a trial.
In another five years, allopathy will be known an Alternate Treatment and Ayurvedic will become the mainline of treatment.
I like almost everything of Swamiji.
He gives spiritual discourse and lifts you spiritually.
He teaches you pranayam and Yoga. And he is an out and out a nationalist. He is leading the people against these corrupt politicians.
There is only one aspect on which I disagree.
When he talks of stopping education in English, he seems to be living in another world. He wants people of each state to do all the state functions in their regional language. All court functions and higher education should also be in regional language.
He should realize that English has become only the second most understood language in India after Hindi and is known by people in all states of India, unlike Hindi which is known only in the 8 states in northern India.
It is known to more people than any of the regional languages.
Have you ever gone outside your own state.
I have been to Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.
Most of the signboards on shops are written in the local language. The bus routes on buses are also written in the local language.
For me, who does not understand or read any of the three languages faced great difficulty. Like a rustic, I had to ask where any bus was going.
In this respect, Kolkata is better. Most of the above are written in English and anybody who comes from any state can read and understands.
In Ahmedabad, I had bought a flat.
All the documents were in Gujarati, and I couldn’t read a word, leave alone understand.
Swami Ramdeo and the rulers in the Hindi speaking should not again try to play with fire. By advocating the use of regional languages in high courts they are just creating another tower of Babel.
Those who have read the Bible will remember that when men became proud they wanted to reach Heaven by building a tower to reach it. They had no difficulty for the first hundred or so feet.
Thereafter, God changed the language spoken by all the workers. They could not understand each other and started fighting and the tower of Babel came down.
Our Politicians are creating a tower of Babel to promote Hindi and destroy the other Indian languages.
English can no longer be considered a foreign language.
Language is meant to make people understand your thoughts.
When 25% of the people in your country understand a language, how can it be considered a foreign language?
Rather, it should be promoted equally with Hindi and the regional languages.
The three-language formula that was prevalent upto a few years ago was the best for the country. Unfortunately, the Hindi speaking politicians were just interested in advancing their own agenda and they broke up what was working very well and gave birth to regionalism.
All Indians should compulsorily learn three languages. Hindi, English and regional language.Those living in Hindi speaking states, too should be made to learn one other Indian languages ( there are 22 as per Schedule VII of the Constitution), besides Hindi and English. Just as examinations are held to test the Hindi for non-Hindi speaking candidates, Hindi speaking candidates should be asked to appear in a second Indian language. Hindi speaking students should not be allowed advantage because of their vernacular.
One of the benefits, which the English left behind after subjugating Indians for 250 years, was giving us the English language. Now we speak better English, grammatically than them. It is this English-speaking prowess, which has made us the leaders in BPO and software technology. It is this English which is making Indians a power in US politics where we can influence events.
And our Hindi speaking leaders, who themselves are giving the best English education to their own children are asking us to remain frogs stuck in our own ponds and wells.