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New Indian Express
19 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Language row: Whose tongue is it anyway?
Language remains an attractive business opportunity in Indian politics. Union Home Minister Amit Shah joined a long line of political entrepreneurs when he recently said, at the launch of a book by Hindi poet and administrator Ashutosh Agnihotri, that the days of English are numbered, and that English-speakers in India would soon 'feel ashamed'. But what exactly was the venture about, and was it a losing proposition? In the language business, north Indian politicians usually propose to replace English, the working language of the British Raj, with Hindi, the language in which governments after independence hoped to bind together the states, which were demarcated on linguistic basis. Indira Gandhi established the department of official language in the 1970s to give teeth to the Official Language Act, 1963. Its core project was to promote Hindi in the work of the Union government. The first step was to create vocabularies to describe the functions and processes of government. Words like nyayalaya (court) were not in common use in the 1970s. The Urdu adalat prevailed. And newfangled terms like urja mantri (minister for energy) sounded unnatural. Delhi's governments had always relied on English, Urdu and Persian to conduct affairs of the state. Now, a new Hindi vocabulary had to be assembled quickly―and awkwardly. The news on state-controlled media baffled millions. State-sanctioned school curriculums featured monstrosities like vismaya dibodhakchinh, Hindi for the exclamation mark. Only a language bureaucrat could have dreamed that one up. But yesteryears' monsters are now familiar friends. Across the land, we know what a nyayalaya is. Sporadically, political leaders from Devi Lal to members of the present government have even sought to make technical education accessible in Hindi, But the task of making up a fresh vocabulary is challenging. What's the Hindi for albedo? For the sternocleidomastoid muscle? It's better to teach children English, the language in which most of the world's useful knowledge is encoded today. The children of so many people in government have been educated in precisely that language, often overseas, and they do not want to be ashamed.
Deccan Herald
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
Those who speak English will soon feel ashamed: Shah stresses need to uphold India's linguistic heritage
Speaking at IAS Ashutosh Agnihotri's book launch of Main Boond Swayam, Khud Sagar Hoon, Shah stated, "In this country, those who speak English will soon feel ashamed -- the creation of such a society is not far away. Only those who are determined can bring about change.
New Indian Express
19-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
'Those who speak English in country will soon feel ashamed': Amit Shah
NEW DELHI: Stressing the importance of Indian languages as the soul of the nation's identity, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Thursday that the time has come to reclaim India's linguistic heritage and lead the world with pride in native tongues. Speaking at the book launch of 'Main Boond Swayam, Khud Sagar Hoon', authored by former civil servant, IAS Ashutosh Agnihotri, Shah said, "In this country, those who speak English will soon feel ashamed, the creation of such a society is not far away. Only those who are determined can bring about change. I believe that the languages of our country are the jewels of our culture. Without our languages, we cease to be truly Indian." "To understand our country, our culture, our history, and our religion, no foreign language can suffice. The idea of a complete India cannot be imagined through half-baked foreign languages. I am fully aware of how difficult this battle is, but I am also fully confident that Indian society will win it. Once again, with self-respect, we will run our country in our own languages and lead the world too," he said.
