Editor,
Many have commented on the Governor’s maiden speech in Hindi in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly. Some became bitterly critical while others came forward in support of the Governor, Mr Ganga Prasad. Everyone has their right to disagree and criticize. Yes, we do not disagree at all that that the majority of people in the state are not fluent in Hindi. This is not a big deal. But disrespecting the language could be. This recent news also made many of my Facebook friends abroad very curious. A learned scholar – Avital Markel from New York speaks out her mind with a dose of humor: ‘why is there so much noise when your governor delivered the speech in the language which is originally from India? I know another popular name of this country as Hindustan, not Englistan, I believe.’ Another Yoga teacher from Las Vegas — JM Palmer remarks – ‘it’s ridiculous that people can disrespect their own language. I can easily pronounce a good many Sanskrit terms. I personally have tremendous respect for India’s Sanskrit and other languages because they are the languages of Yoga and wisdom of spiritual dimension’. Mr. Palmer is a spiritual seeker who regularly visits India.
I think the views of both Avital and Palmer resonate with what the citizens of other countries feel. At least those who have not been insanely fascinated by the English language like some Indians do. It’s a general nature of this country that one without English speaking skills is looked down upon. The ‘inferiority complex’ vis-a-vis the West and its external trappings often hold many Indians back in asserting that they are Indians. This syndrome is getting more pronounced among a certain class of intellectuals and snobbish folks.
Anyway, if we can regularly tolerate the bunch of fraudsters, rapists, and murderers in the Parliaments and state assemblies in the country, why can’t we survive a speech of few minutes in Hindi?
On the contrary, the citizens of very developed nations such as China, Russia, Germany, Portugal, France will never lose their calm when their leaders speak in the native languages. Actually, they all speak their own languages. The imperialist British till date literally failed to cast its spell on them. The citizens of those self-reliant countries rather swell their chests and claim their superiority and what they are due for.
If I am not mistaken Hindi is still recognized as the national language of the country. So, even if we are unable to learn the language, it would do us good not to disrespect it. Here it will be quite relevant to cite a case of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly. I believe, nobody walked out of that international summit on September 27, 2014 when the Prime Minister delivered his speech in Hindi. Thank God, we didn’t have any leaders from our state who might have cringed with embarrassment and walked out! That particular speech by PM Modi in the UN was so applauded that it subsequently served to motivate the member countries across the world to vote in favor of declaring a Yoga International Day for 21st June.
Incidentally, Hindi is a very powerful language, if we go deeper. This language is so self-sufficient that it is one of the direct descendants of Sanskrit, the oldest and the perfect language in the world. On the robust grounds of India’s Sanskrit the Modern linguistics stand. Kudos to those non-prejudiced and rational intellectuals such as Johann Goethe, Schiller, Franz Bopp, Schlegel, Ferdinand de Saussure, Leonard Bloomfield, Noam Chomsky et al, who discovered the fathomless gems in the languages of India.
Finally, for those who sniff at the languages of Indian origin and the wisdom and culture associated with them, I would like to share just one opinion by their much celebrated English master. The British-American,Nobel laureate TS Eliot: “Two years spent in the study of Sanskrit under Charles Lanman, and a year in the mazes of Patanjali’s metaphysics under the guidance of James Woods, left me in a state of enlightened mystification.” I think we should not walk out of the “truth”. India has for ages been enriching the intellectual treasure troves of the West.
Yours etc,
Salil Gewali,
Shillong
Caste discrimination
Editor,
This refers to the letter, “Whither reservation policy?” (ST, Mar 21, 2018). When Aryans came to India, they overpowered a much advanced civilization with the help of iron and horse which were at that time unknown to this land. But it was difficult for them to enslave people of such an advanced civilization that had produced great engineers, doctors and farmers. So, they came out with a caste system that assimilated the defeated sons and daughters of this soil with a mythical idea that the non – Aryans had had their origin from the lower body parts of god and therefore their place must be at the feet of the higher castes who originated from higher body parts of god! This century old construction is so much in our mindsets that a large section of our society is still practicing untouchability which has been reported in various surveys.
However, when a Dalit manages to cross this huge hurdle then she/ he finds another one in the form of nepotism especially in the private sector jobs. We know that the private sector is dominated by powerful castes as there is no reservation of jobs for Dalits in this sector. As a matter of fact, a de-facto reverse reservation policy has been pursued by private companies for those who have the merit of taking birth in a powerful family! Apart from fellow feeling or high caste preferences, interview boards for jobs tend to attach more importance to English speaking ability, well – fed body and fair complexion of the candidates than their score in merit cards.
This approach is totally unfriendly towards Dalit candidates who have otherwise earned excellent marks in merit cards but have had school education through the medium of their respective mother – tongue and do not get enough food let alone a balanced diet to build their health. This needs to be stopped immediately by evolving an objective yardstick for selecting candidates by ensuring representation of Dalits among the examiners and interviewers.
Yours etc.,
Sujit De,
Kolkata