There have been a spate of news articles recently about how various Indian quasi legal and governmental bodies are trying to force children to learn a particular language at school. Such policies apart from being grossly illegal and in violation of the liberal Constitution of India smacks of extreme presumptuousness by the government. By making certain languages compulsory, governments are effectively saying that people don’t know what’s good for them.
Image Credit: brian glanz
This attitude is reflected in the government’s decision to block Savita Bhabi, ban movies which can “hurt religious sentiments”, and now this. Fortunately, even though the public hadn’t really been up in arms regarding the first two points, it isn’t willing to shut up and let the government foist outdated policies on their children’s education. The government must learn its place. Treating your citizens as if they are little children and attempting to make decisions for them regarding personal choices isn’t the best way to survive. Sooner or later, people will get irritated.
Of course, when governments start to try and make the language compulsory to stay in the state, that crosses the line. I don’t want to settle down in Karnataka, but I must have the choice. Making it compulsory for firms to hire only Kannada speaking citizens is discriminatory and most certainly illegal. I’m waiting with glee for the courts to crush this one.
The Supreme Court, as always, has upheld the right of individuals and ruled that parents must retain the choice of which language their children must be instructed in. As a last resort, at least the courts understand. If it wasn’t for them, we would be long doomed by now.
Bhagwad,
Regionalism is wide spread in India and if some state government tries to implement a language that should not come as a shock to you. I know for sure you are a person who will look at both the sides of a decision when you put forth your decision, but people like you are very limited in numbers.
We are deviding ourselves into small compartments with these kinds of directives. I always believe that our mother tongue Hindi is the best medium of communication whatever place you are in India. But this imposition of language is far beyond a common man's understanding.
The only mileage that someone will gain is the political mileage out of these directives.
I had been in Bangalore for four years during my Engineering and found it a very good place to stay. Initially faced lots of trouble in communicating with shopkeepers, vegetable vendors, and other people with whom I used to communicate for meeting my basic needs. But later when I started understanding their language, I was feeling as comfortable as at home. People should never forget their scriptures and mother tounge, thereby learning Sanskrit, Hindi, Telugu or any other state language where we stay should not be taken as regionalism.
By regionalism I mean people living in a region furthering their regional issues and cause of their regions language not for any growth purpose but mostly to gain political mileage. I had a discussion with you Suniana and your perception that people living in a region should be made to learn the region's language is still not sinking. Its entirely my wish to learn or adopt the language of the region where I am at present working. It should not be mandatory. Since labor is highly movable today, places like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkotta, Chennei, Bangluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Gurgaon and so on are becoming cosmopolitian. If I have to move to these cities one after the other in pursuit of better job, do you think I should keep learning Bengali, Punjabi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Marathi and so on?
Your opinion that the business class should be asked to learn the language of the region they are operating in is again I perceive as an imposition to them. Its good for them to learn the regional languages for a better interaction, but you cannot make this a mandatory requirement. Who will be willing to bring business to a region where you make this rule a basic necessity?
I think we should think from a wider perspective (towards national interest) then keeping our views as narrow as the one carried by the political mileage earners.
Hi, no language other than one's mother tongue should be made mandatory to learn. Mother tongue is equal to mother. Whether it is beautiful or ugly one must love it. English is being taught compulsorily in many states because parents want that for the better future of their children. It is understandable because today we have an edge in sectors like IT mainly because of this. What good is it for a south Indian who is not likely to move to the north to be taught Hindi compulsorily? People who indeed move to north do learn it on their own. Similarly my friends who are from Bihar and Bengal speak good Tamil because they have been staying here for many years and they are thinking of settling down here.
The government must first make people literate in 1 language, as India still has a literacy level of only 66% compared to 91% in China. After that they can think of 3 or 4 languages.
@Shaan
I believe the issue isn't literacy but proficiency in a particular language as such. Any child can already fluently speak his or her mother tongue by definition.
As for literacy if a child is in school, he or she will most certainly know how to read and write in at least one language, don't you think? That will make them literate by itself.
Hi, I meant that the emphasis of the govt must be on providing basic education for all children in their mother tongue first. That is, the govt must ensure that every child goes to school. The issue in your article is not about literacy but it is nevertheless an issue for the nation.
In reply to Shaan
I agree that aiming to send all children to school to be educated in their mother tongue is a laudable goal. As you said, it's important for them to learn English as well.