Intro:Promotion of Hindi as a standard language should not be seen as undermining other languages, it’s as simple as, if we stop respecting our own identity what better can we expect from the world towards it?
Oh ya, if you are confused of who’s not respecting our language and what the world has to do with it, here’s an answer. India as a country, as a diversified nation having so many languages, it’s probably very hard for any individual to accept of which one to own, that to, owning with a personal touch is indeed harder! Well no thoughts about it, but when we have an easy to do language, Hindi, which has been an official language in majority of the Indian states and through practice followed all over India as a part of national culture, why now all the fuss about it? Why do we not own it? Some real questions, Do we really care about our heritage or is it just heights of regionalist attitude or is it a well planned propaganda, arises and obviously is inviting a scrutiny?
The newly framed MODI government’s directive had just asked all to give “prominence” to Hindi on official accounts in social media.
Internet and Social Media giants such as the Google and Facebook have researched extensively and have found the need of promotion of regional languages, especially Hindi and have been investing in billions on the same without expecting any immediate returns. One has to clearly understand that the terms “promotion of Hindi” or “prominence to Hindi” are not something equivalent to “restriction on other languages”. This argument is somewhat similar to demand a ban on Hindi TV channels because of people watching it more, if it has a greater viewership it only means that it’s the need of the hour. How can this undermine any other language? The audience has a right on what to watch and what not to, the same equation applies with this meaningless controversy either.
We should not forget that if it was not Hindi, India might still have been in the hands of the British. Hindi was not just a language but it was one of the weapons that helped us in our struggle for Independence. Today there might not be British but we do have global competitors and certainly “Hindi” can be used as a secret weapon. There is something which we have to learn from countries like china, despite having a tougher atmosphere, today if china has succeeded in resisting the global competition, the promotion of their own ‘Chinese’ language, inside the country is also a main factor. The Chinese neither felt inferior nor divided while doing it rather, their unity bonded strongly! If all countries stop promoting their respective languages, the world might end speaking only English and no one would rather want to see it happen. Modi government is not adamant or forcing the citizens like he did, but it’s we who have to think weather to live dwelling around or by wearing a pride.
End of the day its nothing but a global identity which we are branding in. It’s high time we realise that the world will never accept English and India won’t accept any other language as its identical language, it’s we as a country who is responsible to promote one language and it can’t be any other than Hindi, We have to progress with our identity, culture, language and diversity.. We have to move together. “India is great” can only make us proud, but “Mera Bharath Mahan” not only makes us proud but it has the power to make our chests grow by extra 2 inches, the difference lies in it. Respect your language for the world to respect you… –Vikas Puttur
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