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There is a growing (natural or inspired) thought, that "good" future for India and Indians is only ensured by adopting the language of English as the primary language. I notice, many families for last 2 decades have started promoting English as the mother tounge of their children. Most 'elite' people, even very conservative in other matters, strnly opine on this matter, and generally support ENglish as the primary language of instruction. Many, in my observation, (still) feel that it is only English which has the caliber and strength, to keep India as one united nation and soceity.
But this self-sustained promotion of English language has a very far-reaching and deep implications on future of India. It is definitely worth exloring and analysing the progress of Indic languages (I am not referring to Sanskrit) vis-a-vis that of English in India.
I think this is worth analysis and discussion.
Let us begin with some facts:
- Only 5% population of India can speak, read or understand English.
- English is the language of elite, powerful, 'ruling class' of India.
- English is not growing in parallel to the growth of the Indic languages, but at the expense of them. Instead of complementing, English is competing with Indic.
- English is rapidly growing as the preferred medium of education, even at the primary level, driven by the economy.
- In B and C class cities, where the majority middle class of India lives, primary and secondary education is slowly being transformed into English-medium. However quality of language and instruction is very poor. This has impact on overall quality of education, and becomes a competitive burden rather than edge.
- There is a feeling that English can only be learnt if it is the PRIMARY language, thereby making Indic languages secondary or tertiary.
- In elite section of soceity, English is not just the language of instruction, but a trend is emerging for last couple of decades, where English is being promoted by families as the 'mother toungue' of children. Many times, Indic languages are taught just as a remote foreign language.
- At the same time, driven by cinema and telivision, a very un-cultured impure Indic language is being promoted. Those who watch Hindi TV channels, would probably know what I am talking about. Urdu and english mixed with Hindi, is what they call Hindi. And I am not referring to natural mixture of languages. I am referring to artificial, promoted, and deliberate bastardization of language. For instance, a few years back 'Samachar' was the common world for news. Now every channel uses 'Khabar'. Watch any Hindi movie...and you know what I mean. In 15 minutes you will catch at least 50 non-Hindi words - ones which are NOT naturally imported so far (I am not talking about Dunia and Maja and Kamij).
- Indian Corporates and business houses have adopted English not just as the commercial language, but even as cultural language. Logos, icons, what not.
- So far, till a couple of decades back, English was only one of the main languages of government business, others being on equal status. But now, English has become practially THE language, slowly becoming the ONLY language.
- It is a riddle to me, that movie-makers make movies in Indic languages, but are seen talking mainly in English on interviews, ceremonies, debates etc.
- Several times, pure Indic languages is a matter of ridicule. Not just in films but in real life. Try saying, "vichar-vimarsha" (discussion/exchange of views) in Delhi and see how people react. In films, purish Hindi is spoken by the comic characters, and is a matter of laughter. (Contrast to the movies of Amol Palekar era, where leads spoke good Hindi). I am not sure if the same situation exists in cinema of South.
- Literature richness. Indic languages, thanfully, are still churning out very good quality, vibrant, and well-received literature, and has a very good readership. All Indic languages are doing reasonably well here.
- Make no mistake, so far, English is NOT the language of people of India.
- No English newspaper is even in the top 10 most-read papers of India. largest read Hindi paper is read by more people than the readership of all English news papers added together. Even trend is that ENglish readership is shrinking and Indic growing.
- There is a feeling amongst those who take decisions, that except for English being the 'supreme' language, there is NO road possible for India, economically. Not just knowing good english is enough, English must be the first language.
- Many in the present generation already feel the same distance from prakrit languages, as others feel from Sanskrit. More than once I was surprised to find that, for many people, understanding a doha of Kabir or a chaupai of Tulsi is almost as difficult as understanding a shloka of Gita. Some, I have met, would mistake Tulsidas' dialect of Hindi (awadhi) to Sanskrit! But such are still a minority, although growing.
What do others feel?
There is a growing (natural or inspired) thought, that "good" future for India and Indians is only ensured by adopting the language of English as the primary language. I notice, many families for last 2 decades have started promoting English as the mother tounge of their children. Most 'elite' people, even very conservative in other matters, strnly opine on this matter, and generally support ENglish as the primary language of instruction. Many, in my observation, (still) feel that it is only English which has the caliber and strength, to keep India as one united nation and soceity.
But this self-sustained promotion of English language has a very far-reaching and deep implications on future of India. It is definitely worth exloring and analysing the progress of Indic languages (I am not referring to Sanskrit) vis-a-vis that of English in India.
I think this is worth analysis and discussion.
Let us begin with some facts:
- Only 5% population of India can speak, read or understand English.
- English is the language of elite, powerful, 'ruling class' of India.
- English is not growing in parallel to the growth of the Indic languages, but at the expense of them. Instead of complementing, English is competing with Indic.
- English is rapidly growing as the preferred medium of education, even at the primary level, driven by the economy.
- In B and C class cities, where the majority middle class of India lives, primary and secondary education is slowly being transformed into English-medium. However quality of language and instruction is very poor. This has impact on overall quality of education, and becomes a competitive burden rather than edge.
- There is a feeling that English can only be learnt if it is the PRIMARY language, thereby making Indic languages secondary or tertiary.
- In elite section of soceity, English is not just the language of instruction, but a trend is emerging for last couple of decades, where English is being promoted by families as the 'mother toungue' of children. Many times, Indic languages are taught just as a remote foreign language.
- At the same time, driven by cinema and telivision, a very un-cultured impure Indic language is being promoted. Those who watch Hindi TV channels, would probably know what I am talking about. Urdu and english mixed with Hindi, is what they call Hindi. And I am not referring to natural mixture of languages. I am referring to artificial, promoted, and deliberate bastardization of language. For instance, a few years back 'Samachar' was the common world for news. Now every channel uses 'Khabar'. Watch any Hindi movie...and you know what I mean. In 15 minutes you will catch at least 50 non-Hindi words - ones which are NOT naturally imported so far (I am not talking about Dunia and Maja and Kamij).
- Indian Corporates and business houses have adopted English not just as the commercial language, but even as cultural language. Logos, icons, what not.
- So far, till a couple of decades back, English was only one of the main languages of government business, others being on equal status. But now, English has become practially THE language, slowly becoming the ONLY language.
- It is a riddle to me, that movie-makers make movies in Indic languages, but are seen talking mainly in English on interviews, ceremonies, debates etc.
- Several times, pure Indic languages is a matter of ridicule. Not just in films but in real life. Try saying, "vichar-vimarsha" (discussion/exchange of views) in Delhi and see how people react. In films, purish Hindi is spoken by the comic characters, and is a matter of laughter. (Contrast to the movies of Amol Palekar era, where leads spoke good Hindi). I am not sure if the same situation exists in cinema of South.
- Literature richness. Indic languages, thanfully, are still churning out very good quality, vibrant, and well-received literature, and has a very good readership. All Indic languages are doing reasonably well here.
- Make no mistake, so far, English is NOT the language of people of India.
- No English newspaper is even in the top 10 most-read papers of India. largest read Hindi paper is read by more people than the readership of all English news papers added together. Even trend is that ENglish readership is shrinking and Indic growing.
- There is a feeling amongst those who take decisions, that except for English being the 'supreme' language, there is NO road possible for India, economically. Not just knowing good english is enough, English must be the first language.
- Many in the present generation already feel the same distance from prakrit languages, as others feel from Sanskrit. More than once I was surprised to find that, for many people, understanding a doha of Kabir or a chaupai of Tulsi is almost as difficult as understanding a shloka of Gita. Some, I have met, would mistake Tulsidas' dialect of Hindi (awadhi) to Sanskrit! But such are still a minority, although growing.
What do others feel?