Editor,
It is really disheartening to read about the negative reactions of respectable uptight people to the use of Hindi by our Honourable Governor in his Address to the first Assembly Session of the year. Let us remind ourselves that we are part of the Indian territory and our state has enjoyed statehood for more than fifty years. We live in a democracy where our organs of government function according to the provisions of the Constitution of India and we avail of all the rights and freedoms mentioned thereof. India has vast geographical linguistic varieties. We wear different clothes, eat different kinds of food, observe different religious practices and speak different languages etc. Therefore what we need is national integration; that is, a common identity among the citizens of the country. It is the duty of every person as a citizen to oppose the forces and ideas that weaken national unity and integration.
It is indeed a proud moment for the State of Meghalaya when Risa Iba Laloo was adjudged ‘Best Commander’ during the National Cadet Corps (NCC), Prime Minister’s Rally held at Cariappa Parade Ground in New Delhi on January 28,2023. It was not an easy task for her to lead a thousand cadets as she had to undergo several stages of training and trials to get selected. She was indeed the best as her voice resounded across the ground in Hindi – an exemplar par excellence!!!
What is to be emphasized here is that this is not the time to brood and lament why we are unable to understand or communicate in a language that is spoken by almost 45% of the people in our country. Those born before the 20th century are unlucky enough to lack the opportunity and exposure to learn a language other than our mother tongue and the language taught in schools. But the younger generation should not be made to feel inferior to their counterparts in the rest of the country just because they cannot speak or understand a language other than their own. Apparently the ‘old guard’ had a much bigger role to play by being selfish and not guiding the young generation to climb to greater heights. Knowledge of languages is the doorway to wisdom. The more languages you know the more human you are, otherwise we voluntarily make ourselves so helpless and so ridiculous when we cannot connect with the crowd. Let us encourage our young boys and girls to blend in and intermingle with the rest of the society by being able to speak a language that will help in creating relationships with the multitude.
Learning a language will open students to a world of opportunities. They become aware of new cultures and develop a greater understanding and appreciation of other people and improve their ability to communicate and interact positively with other people. “The man who does not know other languages, unless he is a man of genius, necessarily has deficiencies in his ideas.”- Victor Hugo
Yours etc.,
Corina Lyngdoh,
Shillong – 3