Joginder Singh, IPS(Retd)
One of the fundamentals of nationalism and homogeneity in any country is the commonality of the language, apart from other factors like a faith and religion. In this modern age most countries are secular and do not put any restriction on people from other religions.
The world has seen a lot of bloodshed in the name of religion but no country could have one religion or stream roll any particular faith; India, at the time of independence had 569 states, ruled by different rulers. Some of them had different languages, apart from different faith.
Human nature always resents anything forced down its throat. It was this resentment, which led to the Anti Hindi Agitation in Tamilnadu, in 1960s and led to the emergence of the regional parties in that state. When working as Director in Commerce in the Ministry, I was also given the responsibility of promoting Hindi. My Secretary, the Head of the Commerce Ministry told me to hasten slowly. He added that administration is a link in the Government where even if one person does not understand the noting done by the seniors or juniors things can be messed up.
The Constitution of India, adopted in 1950, makes Hindi in the Devanagari script as the “official language of the Union” (Article 343(1)). Hindi is also enumerated as one of the twenty-two languages of the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India.
It was later envisioned that Hindi would become the exclusive working language of the central government by 1965, with state governments free to use the languages of their own choice.
This has not, however, happened, in that ‘exclusive’ manner. English is also employed along with Hindi for official purposes. In this context of Hindi being adopted as the official language, there occurred widespread resistance to the imposition of Hindi upon non-native speakers in some states especially the Anti-Hindi agitations in the state of Tamil Nadu, which ensued in the passage of the Official Languages Act (1963).
This act provided for the continued usage of English, indefinitely and for all official purposes, by the Union government.
At the state level, Hindi is deemed the official language in the states of: Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi.
Each of these states may also additionally assign a “co-official language”; in Uttar Pradesh for instance, depending on the political formation in power, sometimes this `official` language is changed to Urdu. In the same manner, Hindi is accorded the status of co-official language in several states.
Leaving English and its so-called ‘status’ aside, Hindi has been unanimously accepted most of our country. In this context, Hindi Films, that have been produced from Bollywood, have been playing the most substantial role in popularising the language all over the country.
Popular Hindi television serials also help in making Hindi language reach the remotest areas.
Bollywood songs have become so popular, even in the Non Hindi Areas. It will be no exaggeration to say, that Bollywood has done more to promote Hindi or Hindustani, than all the Government schemes put together.
The Chief reason is that Bollywood writers use uncomplicated and simple and not highly Sanskritised Hindi.
I do not, hesitate to admit, that though, I have studied Hindi upto BA as optional subject, sometimes, even I do not understand some Hindi books or for that matter even some newspapers, which employ the exceedingly laborious Hindi.
However, In poetry and songs, Hindi can put across and transmit emotions by mere utilisation of simple and tender words. My favourite songs are only Hindi songs.
It is not to say that people who speak one language, or follow one religion do not fight. Pakistan despite being a one religion, one language and a fundamentalist country in facing internal turmoil from those who believe that everybody should be a Jihadi.
As per the 1961 Census, we have more than 1652 mother tongues, genetically belonging to five different language families. The 1991 Census had 10,400 raw returns of mother tongues and they were rationalized into 1576 mother tongues.
They are further rationalized into 216 mother tongues, and grouped under 114 languages: Austro- Asiatic (14 languages, with a total population of 1.13%), Dravidian (17 languages, with a total population of 22.53%), Indo-European (Indo- Aryan, 19 languages, with a total population of 75.28%, and Germanic, 1 language, with a total population of 0.02%), Semito-Harmitic (1 language, with a total population of 0.01%), and Tibeto- Burman (62 languages with a total population of 0.97%).
In view of the above, a single language, which is understood , if not exactly spoken by everybody is a great link in our country. Its absence makes us the laughing stock of the world. As a Director Youth Service and Jt. Secretary to the Government of Karnataka, I travelled with my Minister, ( who later on, became the Chief Minister of the State) travelled to Iran for official work.
During our meeting with the Iranian Minister. I was conversing with my Minister in English. The Iranian Minister was surprised, why didnot speak in our mother tongue. I replied the Minister does not understand my mother tongue, and I am not very good in the Minister’s mother tongue.
He was surprised that coming from the same country, we cannot converse in our own language.
I explained to him that language can be a uniting as well as a dividing factor , though Government is trying to have one common link language. I had to gently and diplomatically explain that carrying all the people on board takes time, and it has to be done, without appearing to impose any compulsion.
As per the information, available vide 2001 census available 41% of Indians speak and understand Hindi, 8.11% Bengali, 7.19% Telugu, 6.99% Marathi, 6.99 % Tamil.
All of us, to a bigger or a smaller degree fervently espouse that our mother tongue or our language is the mother of all languages. The trouble arises, when we become chauvinistic about it. Hindi is not , the national language of India. It is just one of the “Official languages” of India. , Hindi is a “Raaj Bhaasha” and NOT a “Raashtra Bhaasha”. Nowhere in the constitution of India does it say that Hindi is the national language.
Gujarat High Court once ruled that Hindi is NOT the national language of India, and in fact, India does NOT have a national language at all.
One of the reasons why Hindi is opposed or not accepted readily by people of non-Hindi speaking states is that it is imposed instead, of being induced. By human nature, imposition of anything is vehemently protested.
Once a Parliamentary Committee visited a PSU, whose chief happened to not know Hindi. He was humiliated as he could not give the answers in Hindi.
Even the Minister did not come to the rescue of the official. Forget about the defence, by other members or the Minister, who are no more, the minister apologised for the lack of knowledge of Hindi, by the official
Instead of high flown Hindi, which only the scholars can understand, it will perhaps be ideal to allow people to encourage to learn or use, Hindustani, which could be a mixture of the local words, with the Hindi words.
An imposition of a the largest majority will be disastrous and will be opposed tooth and nail, by those, who are in minority.
I am all for the Hindi, which is understood. The best example is the Hindi used by the TV channels. As per the information as on 31 December 2011. There were a total of 825 private satellite TV channels permitted by the Government . What TV channels can do to promote Hindi is something, which no amount of Government Propaganda can do.
However, the Government in dealing with delicate matter, of promoting Hindi should bear in mind the wise words of Alexander Pope, who once said “Men must be taught as if you taught them not, and things unknown proposed as things forgot”.
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