People choose to speak English, though they are fluent in Hindi. The educational system too has adopted it as the medium of instruction, says Shilpa Sikka.
My byline...
Parents insist their children talk in English, while youngsters proudly declare that the language is alien to them
Shilpa Sikka
A few days ago, I was travelling in a local train, when a woman asked in English to make place for her. Why couldn't she have asked me in Hindi, I wondered. Was it necessary to use English?
Everywhere I go, people choose to speak English, though most of them are fluent in Hindi. Even the educational system has adopted English as the medium of instruction. Shouldn't Hindi have been given priority?
I am surprised that politicians use English in Parliament, and even for Republic Day and Independence Day speeches. I have seen youngsters who are proud to say that they do not know their national language. The use of Hindi has been reduced to slangs. Parents feel inferior if their child is unable to converse in English. There are so many English-speaking classes, but not a single Hindi-speaking class.
We are in the 60th year of independence, but how independent are we? All industries, including the media, fashion and management communicate only in English. Pilots have been fired because they don't know English.
I don't wish to insult English. But people should be bi-lingual and speak both, Hindi and English fluently. English is the spectacles, while Hindi is the eye. If people don't have eyes, of what use are the spectacles? I feel proud when Indians don't feel inferior while communicating with foreigners, but what when they are asked to speak Hindi? Do the Japanese or Chinese face similar problems? They have come a long way, but do they really need to depend on a foreign language like India's youth does?
It is always good to know a foreign language and culture, but not at the cost of the local language. I would like to conclude by quoting Bapu, "There should be no use of foreign language between two people knowing the same language, the use of the other language then, should be punished."
The world is changing and it is always sensible to change with the changing situation. But we can't afford to forget Hindi and its rich culture because that's the pillar our country rests on. If this support were to become weak, it would lead to a catastrophe.
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