India does NOT have a National Language

2008-04-06T16:53:00.000-07:00

Part XVII of the constitution:
This part 17, defines an OFFICIAL language, NOT a national language.
http://www.astro.virginia.edu/~sk4zw/india-const/p17.html

Article 345: This gives the State govt., power to decide its own "OFFICIAL LANGUAGE"
http://www.astro.virginia.edu/~sk4zw/india-const/p17345.html

Article 343: This defines Hindi in devangari script and English to be the "OFFICIAL LANGUAGES" of union govt.
http://www.astro.virginia.edu/~sk4zw/india-const/p17343.html

DIFFERENCE between National and Official Language:

NATIONAL LANGUAGE: Defines the people of the nation, culture, history.

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: A language that is used for official communication

While a National language by default can become the Official language, an Official language has to be APPROVED legally to become the National language.

All languages spoken in India, starting from the most populous to the least are our national languages, because all of them define the people of this nation, culture and their history collectively.

India has NO LEGALLY DEFINED NATIONAL LANGUAGES ONLY 23 OFFICIAL languages as per the constitution.

Anna Durai and Two dogs theory !

(Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister (1967-1969) C. N. Annadurai was a great orator and writer. He sprinkled his speeches and writings with little stories (fables) to drive home his points. Here is a short story he told to drive home the irrationality of arguments for making Hindi the link language of India.)

A man had two dogs - a big one and a small one. He wanted his dogs to go in and out of the house freely without him having to keep the house door open all the time. So he built two "trap doors" - one big trap door for the big dog and one small for the small dog. Neighbors who saw these two doors laughed at him and called him an idiot. Why put a big door and a small door? All that was needed was the big door. Both the big and the small dog could use it!

Indian government's arguments for making Hindi the official or link language of India are as ridiculous as the need for a big door and a small door for the big dog and the small dog. Indian government agrees that English is needed for communication with the world, and every school in India teaches English after the fifth grade. Then the Indian government says that all of us should know Hindi also in order to communicate amongst ourselves within India. I ask, "Since every school in India teaches English, why can't it be our link language? Why do Tamils have to study English for communication with the world and Hindi for communications within India? Do we need a big door for the big dog and a small door for the small dog? I say, let the small dog use the big door too!"

Why English ?

A question that is often asked is "Why are the Tamils willing to learn English but not Hindi?"

My answer would be "Why not Swahili ?"

Even though the answer is actually a question, the answer to my question is the answer to the earlier question too – "No significant use".

If the technical journals and other scientific articles and information/knowledge is in Swahili, people will learn it and not English. The same logic can be used for any other language.

What do we get with Hindi?

Quite often learning/speaking Hindi is associated with patriotism. Does it mean learning Tamil or any other Indian language is unpatriotic ? or is it lesser Indian language than Hindi ? Why is there such a skewed logic ?

Hindi helps you to communicate with the majority Indians is another answer. As far as Tamil Nadu is concerned, Tamil is the majority language so its good to know it. If a Tamil, moves out of TN, he should learn the local language of the region and not Hindi. Till then, a mixture of English and a few words can keep him alive in another state. Making Hindi compulsory in TN for the few who travel outside TN is absurd. What is the percentage of Tamils traveling outside TN?

Now that the jobs are predominantly created in the southern states, will the North Indian in general and Hindi person specifically learn a South Indian language – any one ? or in other words, most Hindi speaking person tend to look for Bangalore, would they learn Kannada ? Shouldn't they learn Kannada?

Respect is a two way street, if you can't learn my language, why should I learn another language ? Unless and until, I see a benefit in learning another language, I don't intend to.

Unravelling the Myths - I

1) It promotes tourism since many north Indians would come down south to visit.

This is a pretty silly argument since NO region would changes it linguistic character for the sake of tourists dropping in unless and until their very source of livelihood depended on those tourists. This is not the case for TN. TN does not depend on tourism industry.

But still, I would like to add these points to counter:

France does NOT promote English which is widely used in the European Union but still it has the highest number of tourists flocking to the nation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Tourism_Rankings

Moreover, it makes perfect sense for the TN government to advertise and attract foreign tourists since better income can be generated from dollars and euros instead of just rupees.

2) It helps the TN people to move up north to get a job

As far as I know, many Tamils have moved up north and have picked up the dominant language in that region for their survival. When Tamils moving up north have picked up the dominant language, why can't the north Indians moving to TN, pick up Tamil?

Moreover, what is the percentage of people who want to go up north to get a job? Is it okay for the state to waste its resources on a minuscule number instead of promoting other vocational courses that would produce skilled man power to contribute to the economy?

I think it does not make any sense to burden the whole population with another language when the time and resources can be used for learning a new subject or a vocational course that can generate income inside TN. This is specifically valid since India as a country is short on money and other critical resources that are essential for generating jobs/income.

By concentrating more on the vocational training and in learning new subjects instead of Hindi, TN can help in generating more jobs for the people in TN.

Unravelling the Myths - II

3) It makes it possible for TN to attract "talented migrants" like Bangalore.

Chennai is a leader based on available labour and low attrition whereas Bangalore suffers due to high attrition rate.

http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/Apr282006/realty121272006427.asp

The above link talks about the A T Kearney's Indian City Services Attractiveness Index 2005

One of the primary reasons that was stated for Chennai being "attractive" for investments is because it had a lower "attrition rate". This "lower attrition rate" is largely attributed to the "stable population" in Chennai while B'lore has a "floating population" that would be willing to shift bases quite often unlike Chennai which produces the man-power from its "internal human resources".

While this is not the only reason for the attrition rate, this plays an important role in keeping the attrition rate low according to Nasscom survey.

4) Hyderabad/AP has better software growth because they speak "hyderabadi" which helps to attract new talents from north India.

Karnataka logged in a software export growth of 36 per cent to touch Rs 37,600 crore for 2005-06 from Rs 27,600 crore during the last fiscal. Tamil Nadu's contribution during the fiscal was Rs 14,115 crore (Rs 10,730 crore) and Andhra Pradesh touched Rs 12,521 crore (Rs 8,270 crore), according to numbers released by respective STPI centres.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/05/07/stories/2006050702500300.htm

While there is a huge difference between Karnataka and TN in terms of software exports, AP/Hyderabad has still not caught up with TN.

Unravelling the Myths - III

5)Hindi is a dominant language and it makes sense to learn it

What do you mean by dominant language? Numbers??

If numbers mean superiority, then the people of the world will be learning "Chinese/Mandarin" and not English. Also, India would have come second in the Olympics.

Hindi in Devanagari script is ONE of the Official Languages in India along with 20 or so other languages including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Gujarati, English etc.

Specifically, Hindi in devanagari script is the Official language along with English in the central government and is also use by a few states and union territories. Out of the 28 states and 7 UTs, 10 States and 3 UTs use Hindi as one of the Official Languages. This still leaves the majority (18 states, 4 UTs) beyond their ambit.

Tamil:

1)Official language of India/TN/Pondicherry
2) Classical language
3) Official language of Singapore
4) official language of Sri Lanka
5) constitutionally recognized by the government of South Africa.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_language

6) Hindi helps the economy.

Tamil Nadu's contribution to the Indian economy:

Cars – 21 %

Heavy Commercial Vehicles – 33%

Auto Components – 35%

Railway Coaches – 49%

Cotton Yarn – 32%

Leather Tanning Industry – 70%

Software -14%

Power Driven Pumps – 50 %

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Tamil_Nadu

Its comes third in terms of FDI investments after Maharashtra and Delhi region.

TN has achieved this without Hindi. I am NOT going to elaborate much on the BIMARU (Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh; including Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Uttaranchal) states. They have not shown any remarkable progress with Hindi. It basically means, Hindi does NOT influence the market.

Unravelling the Myths - IV

7) It is all because of Karunanidhi

The present day politicians use the language issue but they are not the initiators.

The few individuals who know about the anti-hindi agitation believe that it happened in the 1960s but the first anti hindi agitation happened in 1937-38 – yes, before independence!

The policy guidance issued to Congress Ministers and legislators did not specifically state the need and urgency for the implementation of its language policy through the teaching of Hindustani (Hindi) in schools. However, the Congress Ministry in Madras Presidency chose to implement the language policy outline of the Indian National Congress in 1937/1938 which led to an agitation against Hindi in the province.

The Congress leaders refused to acknowledge that the anti-Hindi agitation in the Tamil region of the Madras Presidency was backed by a majority of the people in the region. Such was the dogmatic position of Mahatma Gandhi that he always referred to the anti-Hindi stance in Tamilnadu as being supported only by some people.

However, Mahatma Gandhi (for whom the pre-eminent status of Hindi-Hindustani as the official/national language, was never a matter for any accommodation or adjustment of any different view point and who could see the position of Hindi-Hindustani mostly in terms of Hindu-Muslim unity backed by the history of pro-Hindi movement within the Hindustani speaking states, for his own political expediency) revealed that he was not against the use of Criminal Law provisions against anti-Hindi agitators when he called implicitly the anti-Hindi agitation as "picketing nuisance" ( Harijan, 10 Sept. 1938).

http://www.languageinindia.com/dec2005/languagepolicy1936-1.html

Gandhi viewed everything as Hindu-Muslim and was not able to see the differences in language throughout India which was a major flaw in his thought process.

Two Tamils died in police custody in this first agitation: Thalamuthu and Natarajan.

The decision to withdraw compulsory Hindi education from Madras Presidency was taken on January 21, 1940.

Present Day:

It is not just one individual or a single party that opposes Hindi imposition in TN.

TN chamber of commerce and industry opposes Hindi: Feb 08, 2006

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/02/09/stories/2006020902541900.htm

MDMK opposes Hindi

"The party will not allow any move to impose Hindi on Tamils in any manner."

http://www.hindu.com/2004/10/30/stories/2004103009840400.htm

Jayalalitha against Hindi:

In a demi-official letter, she said, "It is with great pain and anguish that I wish to bring to your notice the recent practice resorted to by the National Highways Authority of India of inscribing place names in Hindi on the kilometre stones on the NH being laid in Tamil Nadu."

http://www.hinduonnet.com/2004/12/22/stories/2004122210530100.htm

DMK, AIADMK, MDMK

The Lok Sabha was adjourned for 15 minutes today during question hour as a bitter debate triggered off between members from Tamil Nadu and those from the Hindi-speaking belt on whether the milestones on the National Highway should show the distance in Hindi in the non-Hindi-speaking states.

Mr P.H. Pandian (AIADMK), however, supported the issue raised by Dr Krishnam(MDMK) and wanted a reply from the government. Members of the DMK and other members from Tamil Nadu also supported the question.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20030306/nation.htm#3

As can be seen in the few examples given, opposition to hindi imposition in any form cuts across all party lines in TN. Even the PMK and DPI oppose hindi imposition. It is not a question a specific politician's quest for power.

3-Language System:

The three language system was introduced by the central government in the 1960s to pacify the revolting southerners. The National Policy on Education, 1968 talks about the Three Language Policy.

The main idea was:

Non-hindi state should learn:

Regional language

English

Hindi

Hindi speaking states should learn:

Hindi

English

A southern Language.

The idea of three language policy is to have:

Even workload:

The north Indians will have 3-languages to learn which is same as that of the south. Earlier, the Hindi speaking states can get away with only Hindi and English but now, they had to teach a southern language as the third language.

This was not followed by the Hindi speaking states and hence, TN which had a strong party in the state refused to entertain any Hindi in TN.

Why then are people from Kerala, Andhra, Karnataka comparatively better off in Hindi ?

Andhra:

The Nawabs who ruled the Hyderabad region had made Urdu compulsory during their reign and hence the people there were exposed to Urdu (Hindi like) since early times. Even now, Urdu is one of the Official Languages of the state.

Karnataka:

In the case of Karnataka, Hindi is still not compulsory but is indirectly imposed by the Congress and Janata Dal who rule the state. Karnataka lacks a strong party from the state.

Kerala:

Kerala was the only state that implemented the 3-language policy even though the Hindi speaking states ignored a southern language.

http://www.languageinindia.com/dec2002/karnatakaeducationpolicy.html

http://www.ling.upenn.edu/~jason2/papers/natlang.htm

http://ncert.nic.in/sites/publication/schoolcurriculum/Position_Papers/Indian%20Languages%20.pdf

Articles on 1965 Hindi Imposition

Bureaucracy by Doublespeak:

To spread Hindi, the government is spending $2,100,000 this year.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,839158,00.html

The above link talks about Hindi imposition in 1965. As you can see, India was spending 2.1 Million USD for Hindi evangelization. This was in the year 1965, when India had a literacy rate of about 24 %. We were importing 2 ship loads of wheat a day to barely survive and Shahstri gave his famous call for Indians to skip one meal a day. The times were so bad but we still managed to find funds for Hindi.

Hindi Imposition:

In the southern Indian town of Tiruchi last week, a 20-year-old hotel waiter scribbled hasty notes to family and friends, then committed suicide by gulping a bottle of insecticide. He was the third suicide in the area in a week.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,839222,00.html

A total of 5 individuals burnt themselves to death and 2 drank pesticide as protest against Hindi imposition. According to government records around 66 people died. The government records were burnt by the officials after Bhaktavatchalam, the then CM of TN ordered it. Ostensibly, to protect the officials from retaliations.

Retreat to English:

Last week 106 Congress Party M.P.s from North India petitioned the government—in English—to uphold Hindi as the only official language. Fanatics of the pro-Hindi Jan Sangh Party prowled the streets of Delhi, blotting out English signs with coal tar.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,839301,00.html

Force of Words:

At a Cabinet meeting, non-Hindi ministers backed the demand of Food Minister Chidambaram Subramaniam that English also be given statutory recognition as an official language. When they were voted down, Subramaniam and another minister resigned, shaking confidence in Shastri's leadership.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,940936,00.html

Subramaniam and O.V. Alagesan resigned from their ministerial positions.

Subramaniam (Agricultural Minister) along with Dr. Swaminathan (Indian Agricultural Research Insitute) and Sivaraman (Union Secretary of Agriculture) were responsible for the Green Revolution.

According to Borlaug, there was also an active role in this played by Siva Raman, then Union Secretary of Agriculture. "I used to call them 3 Ss Subramaniam, Swaminathan and Sivaraman ," Borlaug said.

http://ia.rediff.com/news/2006/aug/24borlaug.htm?q=np&file=.htm

Hindi Against India:

You can speak Tamil or English and yet be a good Indian, argued Anna. No, answered New Delhi, the only good patriots are those who speak (and write) Hindi. Shastri and his Government stood by the decision to make Hindi official on 26 January. And, in consequence, all hell broke loose.

http://www.hindu.com/mag/2005/01/16/stories/2005011600260300.htm

Hindi Chauvinism:

But from time to time, the chauvinists of Hindi try to press their case. In his previous term as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mulayam Singh Yadav wrote a letter in his language to the Chief Minister of Kerala, E.K. Nayanar. Mr. Nayanar replied in his language. It was a brilliant riposte: for while Hindi was not widely spoken in Thiruvanthapuram, in Lucknow, Malayalam was not known at all.

http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mag/2004/01/18/stories/2004011800040300.htm

Unravelling the Myths - V

8)One Nation, One Language – National Integration.

This is another one of the major myths that is brought into the picture quite often.

The point put forth is this:

US, UK, France have one language and hence have developed.

Counterpoints:

Switzerland has Four National Languages – Romansh, Italian, French, and English and it is well-developed.

There are quite a few countries even in India's neighborhood that show the negatives of imposing a language on a huge chunk of population.

Pakistan-B'desh:

After a lot of controversy over the language issue, the final demand from East Pakistan was that Bangla must be the official language and the medium of instruction in East Pakistan and for the central government it would be one of the state languages along with Urdu. The first movement on this issue was mobilised by Tamaddun Majlish headed by Professor Abul Kashem. Gradually many other non-communal and progressive organisations joined the movement, which finally turned into a mass movement.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Bangladesh#The_Language_Movement

Sri Lanka:

One of the main reasons for the civil war in Sri Lanka is the Sinhala only act 1956 which gives importance to Sinhala at the expense of Tamil.

http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2304/stories/20060310001305500.htm

http://www.languageinindia.com/jan2002/srilanka1.html

As seen in both the cases, imposition of one language causes trouble and not "integration".

My Inspiration

India does NOT have a National Language