Language wars or competition to break Bharat ?

So far, DMK has been at the forefront of any anti-centre debates or hitting the streets on slightest pretext of perceived “injustice”. After independence, it began with Nehru ji’s three language formula. In the current heated environment too, Tamilnadu parties have been flexing their muscles about supposedly forcible imposition of Hindi on Tamils. If you add to this anti-Centre stance about NEET, which has been accepted by every state of Bharat, except Tamilnadu, you can understand that it is a political gimmick. Dravidanists thrived since per-independence period, collaborated with the British on the issues of North vs South, Dravid vs Aryan, Tamil vs Other languages throughout the last century on a fake theories floated by the British and West to justify their occupation of Bharat. So, Tamilnadu politics of divide and rule is an ongoing battle.

 

You can fight idea vs idea battle and win it, may not be quick victory, but ultimately you can win. But what can you do about sporadic incidents that pile up over time and create a narrative of victimisation, sense of deprivation and disaffection?

 

 This is why, I am alarmed that highly patriotic Maharashtra and Karnataka are falling prey to language wars. Is it actually a genuine worry about their language being overpowered by other languages? Or is it a subtle undermining of unity of Bharat by Breaking Bharat forces? Are the votaries of outrage invention groups even aware that they are being used by the forces that they do not recognise?

 

We will first expose the insincere nature of protestors for Marathi and Kannada, then we will talk about obvious solutions and why it is necessary to assuage the feeling of innocent citizens on this issue.

 

While original Shiv Sena grew on anti ‘Madrasi’ rhetoric, later anti-‘Gujju’ feelings, MNS first picked up ‘anti-Bihari’ anger. This love for Marathi could be understood if all the Senas had their children studying in Marathi schools. Or, at least, if they had seen to it that Marathi schools do not close, whatever the cost. I know of an old generation Marathi school that was converted to English school. Marathi language champions came with banners and outrage – “how dare you!” The trustees told them politely that they would be happy to keep running the Marathi school if they could provide students. The closure was due to lack of students. The agitators could not bring any students! Same is the case, unfortunately, with all the regional language schools, including Hindi schools.

 

Did Marathi Senas start any programme to promote Marathi in literary field or drama or films? One positive dramatic success of such protests and acceptance of multiplexes to keep some shows reserved for Marathi films. But, beyond this there has been no efforts to nurture or popularise Marathi in states outside Maharashtra. All the Maharashtra mandals across the globe are individual efforts of Marathi speaking people of Bharat, no thanks to political Marathi champions.

 

Similar is the case with Tamilnadu. Has any Tamil government tried to popularise Tamil through language certificate classes like Hindi teaching institutions in Tamilnadu and elsewhere? Tamil cinema is popular across Bharat due to OTT platforms. Have Tamil language lovers used this to leverage Tamil? I agree that other states have not been above board in three language formula implementation, honestly. But did Tamilnadu governments ever go out of way to request some schools, say in Delhi or Mumbai to institute Tamil as third language assuring that the state government will bear every cost to promote it? Answer is, simple No. I will not even repeat myself about politicians’ children studying in English medium schools.

 

It alarmed me and made me sit down and pen my thoughts when I read a brilliant and a young politician with a bright future, like Tejasvi Surya, demanding appointment of only Kannada speaking people in a national bank like SBI! I can understand demand for a few employees who speak local language to assist transferred employees, but we can’t turn national institutions into regional institutions! RSS has for years asserted that every regional language is a national language. BJP follows the same line. Have we forgotten national interests, pandering to local elements. Has Kannada Vedike done anything beyond outraging over Kannada boards and against any and everyone in the name of Kannada pride? I will repeat the same question – has it taken any initiative to inspire non-Kannada speaking people to study Kannada? An Auto rickshaw organisation could think of a small board of 20 possible questions of a passenger to the auto-driver. Shouldn’t Vedike think of such simple solutions?

 

I am of the firm opinion that one should happily learn the local language where one is staying for even a year, after all that land is providing him for his economic wellbeing. Though I am a Punjabi born in Mumbai, I speak Punjabi but could not read it. So, when I began touring Punjab regularly in 1980s, I picked up a local primer, and slowly began local Punjabi newspapers. Same trick worked in Gujarat. When I used to go to Bengaluru in 1990s for business purposes continuously for some months, I picked up a primer again, and self-taught myself to the level that I could read bus boards, and discovered that script of Kannada and Telugu is same. Of course, as a born Mumbaikar, Marathi is my preferred second language.

 

Languages are a window to local culture and traditions. We Bharatiyas, by nature, enjoy and thrive on diversity because we begin finding unity in those diversities. We realise that they are all expressions of the same sense of cultural unity. When you speak even one sentence in the local language with the person on the opposite side, you at once see his or her expressions change and a new warmth in his conversation. It is but natural. I have tried it in every meeting and adverse situation, and it works.

 

You cannot force people to learn a language; you can persuade them. You cannot work in a city where you do not feel one with the local people and refuse to speak their language out of arrogance or sheer laziness. No government can enforce languages with compulsion. Language learning needs to be made easily available like Hindi Prachar Sabha and other similar efforts. The state governments should encourage local schools to teach local language, whichever board they might belong to. They need to go out of way to promote it on different platforms – be it SM, online courses, dramas, cinema, and literature. Maharashtra Punjabi Academy has recently launched an App for Punjabi language learning. Translation of literary works in different languages is a good way to promote the language and its usage. Language promotion has to come down from stage managed elite shows, to the streets and homes through easy access.

 

I would suggest to all the citizens of Bharat, not to get instigated by these provocations. These deliberately created disputes are another way of exacerbating the fault lines that exist in our society. We have lived happily, fought many times, enjoyed many times, but have not allowed these fault lines to break us apart. Because we are aware of underlying unity – consciously or unconsciously. Think, why simple solutions are not found or applied, why the usual suspects only create outrage.