Editor,
Many animals and even plant species communicate with each other. Humans are not unique in this capability. However, human language is unique in being a symbolic communication system that is learned instead of being biologically inherited. We also use it to express inner thoughts and emotions. It is a medium through which we represent our culture and the historical backgrounds of our community. However, a language known by one need not necessarily be known by all. Over years we have made it our ‘pride’ rather than our ‘medium’ and are chaining the people belonging to other linguistic minority communities of our regions with it. The same is happening in West-Bengal , where Bengali language is made compulsory irrespective of the opinions of the hill people. It is a crime on moral grounds as an individual in an independent country like India should be free to learn and communicate in the language of his/her choice. No one has the right to force their mother tongue on others as they also have their own vernacular languages to choose from. It is also an insult to a great free-minded language like ‘Bengali’ as it is forced on ‘Non-Bengali’ speakers thereby arousing hatred and a sense of boredom on the young minds of the students. I believe all languages are beautiful and all of them deserve respect. But learning should be left to the choice of the students/learners and no citizen of this country should be chained to any language. This is my humble suggestion as a concerned citizen of this great ‘multi-linguistic’ country India.
Yours etc.,
Raj Sunar
Shillong -5
Of myths and superstitions!
Editor,
Recently, a High Court judge has given a statement to the effect that a pea-hen drinks the peacock’s tears to procreate a pea-chick! Some years ago, there was mass hysteria when the idols of Lord Ganesha started sucking milk in many parts of our country. Some regressive forces tried to siphon off whatever scientific temper we had at our disposal with such gimmicks. It is a shame that no government in our country is eager to help people discharge their fundamental constitutional duty “to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform;” as enshrined in the Article 51A (h) of our Constitution. Even the government of Kerala had meekly submitted to age – old prejudices of prohibiting women of menstruating age to go on pilgrimage.
Our political parties are going soft towards regressive prejudices and sometimes even use such myths in their favour as they think that such nonsense will assure them of a vote bank dividend. It is an irony that when Raja Rammohan Roy had successfully guided even a reluctant foreign company (East India) to the path of reform in the eighteenth century, Dabholkar and his likes could not take us from the narrow lane which is potholed with myths, superstitions and prejudices to the constitutional highway of scientific temper in this twenty-first century.
Given that some advertisements for controlling others are mushrooming day by day, they must have been doing a brisk trade. This means that the umpteenth number of our brothers and sisters are being slow – poisoned in the name of black magic!
Word has it that some couples are now preferring a Caesarean to normal delivery and specifying the time of incision so that the baby can come out at the auspicious time that has been predicted by their astrologer! If such illogical propaganda in favour of ludicrous myths, superstitions and prejudices are allowed to spread through the media and thereafter the mind space, then a time will come when we will start committing suicide at an auspicious time and place to make ourselves heavenward bound! Indeed, the need of the hour is to stop the menace of further reducing our scientific temper to tears.
Yours etc.,
Sujit De,
Kolkata
Kudos MeECL!
Editor,
Through your esteemed daily, I extend my sincere gratitude towards the people of Jaintia Hills especially East Jaintia Hills for their cooperation in the recent hour of crisis and also to the media houses for publishing the failure report of 2×20 MVA transformers at Khliehriat Grid Sub Station which resulted in interruption of power supply to the entire Jaintia Hills. Further, the staff and officers of the MeECL has put in tireless effort despite unprecedented constraints due to shortages of resources and extremely adverse weather conditions, to restore power supply within the shortest possible time. This is, in fact, a remarkable achievement on the part of the MeECL but unfortunately, though report of failure was widely published by media houses no recognition/appreciation was given to the tireless efforts of the staff and officers of the MeECL to restore power which in turn has brought some relief and satisfaction to the consumers. Although a smile on the consumer’s face is enough but a few words of appreciation on the part of the media houses would have boosted the morale of the staff and officers involved.
Yours etc,
Krishnendu Deb,
Via email .