Bilingualism

08.02.2010

Began yet another batch of General Management and Communication Skills for newly qualified Chartered Accountants. There were quite a few gentlemen from Orissa. In a spirit of promoting cross pollination among cultures, I suggested that the non-Tamils should try to learn three Kurals from Thirukural. (Far be from me any intention to impose my will or my language on others; merely a genuine desire to familiarize them with a body of wisdom that has transcended Tamilnadu or even India and is recognized across the world as an essential source of wisdom. The Kural is Religion and Politics neutral. As it has no allusion to customs and rituals it is geography and society neutral too. More about the greatness if the Kural in another Blog!)

I was surprised at the type of resistance this suggestion provoked. One participant (Mr. Chittaranjan) asked me, ‘What will I get if I read the Kural?” (I sincerely have no answer! L )

Another said, “Sir, why don’t you learn Hindi first?” (I would love to; I wish I had done it earlier; But, what has that got to do with attempting to understand an inspiring and motivating work. My inability to speak Hindi has never prevented me from learning Urdu couplets or the great hymns of Surdas, Kabir and Meera, preferably in their own tongue.)

What truly surprised me was that these were not natural Hindi speakers. They were Oriyans! I wish one of them had stood up and said, “Sir, we appreciate that you want us to read a Tamil work. We will try. But in the mean time, may we suggest that you also try to read and appreciate the great Oriyan poet and writer (#Name to be Supplied.#). The imposition of Hindi has merely resulted in the impoverishment of local languages and dialects. A Bilingual policy with English as a compulsory first language and local language or mother-tongue as a second language would have been a better solution.

Before you start reacting to this, would you like to read the views expressed by Mrinal Pande, a broadcaster and writer in both English and Hindi, in her article titled The Fork-Tongued, Bilingualism, a legacy that defines the nation today?

“Today it is undeniable that English has come to signify social status and good education in India…The Samajwadi leadership that supported Hindi has been trounced in UP (the Hindi heartland) and the Dalits in power are singing Paeans to the “English Devi”…Mayawati has recently declared that English will be taught in all state-run schools in UP.”