Dear Ravish ji,
I completely agree with you. Both of these trends are to be seen on the rise -
a) English fast replacing Indian languages as the primary language.
b) Vegetarians on the decline.
I will submit my thoughts on the first one for now.
I know several friends, with mother tongue of Hindi/Telugu/Marathi but have had schooling since begining in English medium. Most of them are well established in careers now, and many of them are very good readers, but only of English literature. While they have read Ayn Rand, Maksim Gorky, or Tolstoy, but they have not read one novel of Premchand or Phanishwar Nath Renu in Hindi. They know all about Sidney Sheldon, Jeffrey Archer, or Robert Ludlum - but have not even heard about Mohan Rakesh or any contemporary Hindi writer of any worth. Contemporary Indian authors they read, are also all in English. News papers they read are in English, and not only do these people ignore Hindi papers but consider these below standard. Only hindi "literature" they regulary follow is - Bollywood movies. (Yes, movies are one vidha of literature too). For them, understanding the sense of doha/pad of Tulsidas, Kabirdas or Surdas are as complex as a foreign language.
Now, I must correct the perspective though. I am not talking about "all" of this generation. But no doubt a majority of English-medium public-school educated (not necessary convent) people I know about.
My observation is, at the moment this situation is somewhat limited to metros, where elites live. Vast majority of Indian masses who live in B or C class cities is so far still getting education in Indian languages. But growing trend of English-medium education is visible there too.
Another aspect of this. I was recently reading the 'Autobiography of An Unknown Indian' by Nirad C Chaudhari. He explained his upbringing, his early education, childhood, and how that had an impact on his outlook towards India, her History. He recounts that he received early education at home, in English. He was although concious of India-ness in his youth, through Bengali novels of Bankim Chand and Sharat Chand. But that was about it. Back then these novels had the impact what probably Bollywod has today. And he somewhat laments that until he was 21, there was no attempt made to teach him Sanskrit or Hindu literature. This literature he learnt later, through English translations, just as he got the message of Persian and European literature. He says all this had a deep impact on him, and the way he looks at Indian hinstory - which is from outside and not inside.
So, yes sir! I agree with you, this is an important issue. Thomas Macaulay must be smiling in his grave. Is this very different from what he had set out to acheive? : "a generation of Indians which is Indian in looks and skin, but English in outlook and manners. A generation which will abandon its heritage volunteerily?
Let us discuss "language and medium-of-education" aspect of the change, its impact on Indian/Hindu culture, flow of values through generations, and then, what can we do in this situation...
I completely agree with you. Both of these trends are to be seen on the rise -
a) English fast replacing Indian languages as the primary language.
b) Vegetarians on the decline.
I will submit my thoughts on the first one for now.
I know several friends, with mother tongue of Hindi/Telugu/Marathi but have had schooling since begining in English medium. Most of them are well established in careers now, and many of them are very good readers, but only of English literature. While they have read Ayn Rand, Maksim Gorky, or Tolstoy, but they have not read one novel of Premchand or Phanishwar Nath Renu in Hindi. They know all about Sidney Sheldon, Jeffrey Archer, or Robert Ludlum - but have not even heard about Mohan Rakesh or any contemporary Hindi writer of any worth. Contemporary Indian authors they read, are also all in English. News papers they read are in English, and not only do these people ignore Hindi papers but consider these below standard. Only hindi "literature" they regulary follow is - Bollywood movies. (Yes, movies are one vidha of literature too). For them, understanding the sense of doha/pad of Tulsidas, Kabirdas or Surdas are as complex as a foreign language.
Now, I must correct the perspective though. I am not talking about "all" of this generation. But no doubt a majority of English-medium public-school educated (not necessary convent) people I know about.
My observation is, at the moment this situation is somewhat limited to metros, where elites live. Vast majority of Indian masses who live in B or C class cities is so far still getting education in Indian languages. But growing trend of English-medium education is visible there too.
Another aspect of this. I was recently reading the 'Autobiography of An Unknown Indian' by Nirad C Chaudhari. He explained his upbringing, his early education, childhood, and how that had an impact on his outlook towards India, her History. He recounts that he received early education at home, in English. He was although concious of India-ness in his youth, through Bengali novels of Bankim Chand and Sharat Chand. But that was about it. Back then these novels had the impact what probably Bollywod has today. And he somewhat laments that until he was 21, there was no attempt made to teach him Sanskrit or Hindu literature. This literature he learnt later, through English translations, just as he got the message of Persian and European literature. He says all this had a deep impact on him, and the way he looks at Indian hinstory - which is from outside and not inside.
So, yes sir! I agree with you, this is an important issue. Thomas Macaulay must be smiling in his grave. Is this very different from what he had set out to acheive? : "a generation of Indians which is Indian in looks and skin, but English in outlook and manners. A generation which will abandon its heritage volunteerily?
Let us discuss "language and medium-of-education" aspect of the change, its impact on Indian/Hindu culture, flow of values through generations, and then, what can we do in this situation...