Agony of a Hindi Speaking Average Everyday Indian
Sometime back, I came to know from a friend that constitution does not have anything specific that makes us identify that Hindi is our national language. But Hindi is indeed spoken by majority of people in India. At least it makes us feel from the same country here in New York. So shall we call it a language for national integrity and forget it being a national language debate.
India more commonly known as Hindustan has this Hindi as the oldest impure form of Sanskrit. There are thousands of dialect that emerged again from Hindi. So almost whole of north India and central India and parts of West India is a hindi speaking belt. I, being brought up and studied at so many places, speak various Indian languages and dialects. To name a few – Hindi, Bangla, Marathi, Angika, Bhojpuri, Awadhi, Maithili, Maghdhi. I also understand Oriya, Assamese, Gujrati, Sindhi, Punjabi.
But primarily my mother tongue is Hindi. So I must say – I am a hindi speaking average everyday Indian
But I am agonized and I thought to share this with my readers. I have been to several places in India and I feel as being an alien. If I go to Uttar Pradesh, I would be called out for not speaking good Hindi and Bihar would call me out for speaking better Hindi. When I go to Bengal, though people understand Hindi, they would prefer that you speak in Bangla. I do! But then it is not up to the mark.
Being in Maharashtra, they expect me to learn the culture and language. I did that to some extent. But even if I try to speak marathi, I am not welcomed. Some say – Why do you pollute our language? Now, is it someway that I can learn a language in its purest form with a flick?
There are many more instances that are not even worth quoting here. I truly do not understand why we emphasize language, regions, states and religion above being a Human. Language for me is just a tool to express myself. It does not reflect how well I adapt a culture or a place.
I may not be speaking very good English but I have not felt like not welcomed in USA. Though officially I am an alien here but people do not make me feel that. Why? Because for them language is secondary and just a medium of communication/ expressions. At first I am a Homo sapiens and then anything else.
The bottom line is, we as an Indian prefer to fight over bad issues. This definitely will have a long lasting impact on our growth plan. What about Mr. Kalam’s vision of India-2020? We need to get out of this or else we will have to pay a price in future. Let us not decide who will speak what language what would be called as a national language. Let language be for what it is – Tool for expression or else I would prefer to lose my ability to sound!
April 27th, 2010 at 8:22 am
The first thing that came to my mind after reading this blog is “How True”
), I have always felt this when ever I spoke to the associates over the phone be it T-Mobile, Verizon, PSEG etc
Being in US for last one and half years (5 months with Amar
Never they gave me an impression why I am speaking in an accent which is difficult for them to understand. Rather they always try to understand. Sadly, this is not the case in our own country when I try to speak in a regional language.