English vs Hindi? English and Hindi? The debate continues

August 08, 2014 11:34

Journalist Manu Josephs weighs in on the Hindi vs English controversy currently dogging the UPSC. This is what he has to say, in the New York Times:

'Any battle against English in India is at once a battle of the poor against the rich, the village against the city, tradition against modernity and the regional elite against a more cosmopolitan elite.

'English is indisputably Indian now, and the most useful language in India. But it is not the most beloved, nor the medium of abuse during road rage. That special place Indians will always grant only to their mother tongues.'

Read the full article here.

And Shivam Vij too weighs in on the language controversy with his though-provoking piece in Scroll.in, 'Why I won't apologise for being a Macaulayputra'.

He writes: 'I have often wondered which language I think in. I have to ask myself that question often these days because the Hindi nationalists are in power and everyday they are telling me I am an elitiya whose mind is colonised by Lord Macaulay. I would say I think in English but feel in Hindi.

'Those who champion Hindi -- such as the Rajbhasha Committee -- mostly argue in the name of nationalism. It is our language, national language, official language, mother tongue, we need to promote Hindi. Yet the Hindi they are promoting is an alien language. I don't even know what my mother tongue is. Hindustani? Hindi? Seraiki? Urdu? Indian English? Awadhi?'

Read his article here.

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