The Big Language Debate

Since Independence (and partition as remembered by some), two factors have always dominated Indian politics. The "religion-divide" (you know what I am talking about) and the language wars. As far as I know and to whomever I asked (includes Judges, lawyers, freedom fighters, some politicians, and academicians), it isn’t mentioned anywhere in the constitution that “Hindi” is the official language of India. Some may argue that it is the wide spoken across the country; but then so is English across the world. Does that make English an old language?

Hindi is relatively new in the Indian sub-subcontinent.

Like other Indo-Aryan languages, Hindi is a direct descendant of an early form of?Vedic Sanskrit, through?Shauraseni Prakrit?and??auraseni Apabhra??a?(from Sanskrit?apabhra??a?"corrupt"), which emerged in the 7th century CE. (WikiPedia)

The point of this author is not to undermine the beauty of the Hindi language nor belittle it in any way. I love Hindi movies and am a huge fan of Sharukh/Hrithik. But that doesn’t mean I must stay away from movies of Suriya, Mohanlal, Ravi Teja, Chiranjeevi; etc. ?That is, I do watch movies of multiple Indian languages as well as those from Hollywood. But you can’t tell me which movie language I must give priority to? That’s my right!

Similarly, forcing one language on a versatile country such as India/Bharat seems childish. India shines above the rest of the world for its unity in versatility. And to take that quality from the country, would actually divide it.

Let us take a look at the core incidents that have ignited this debate in several parts of the country.

• Hindi has been recommended to be used as much as possible anywhere across government offices.

• Stress of North Indian history in the National Education Policy (NEP)
• Misnomer that three-language policy mandates the inclusion of Hindi in education syllabi
• Allegation by TN Chief Minister, M.K Stalin that funds for an education have been withheld by the Centre because of Tamil Nadu’s reluctance to include the NEP in its state education system.

I don’t wish to get into politics with this newsletter. My views, I believe are of any common man in India who neither belongs to the bracket of “too rich nor too poor”- the “middle class”. Moreover, I have friends in every state of India including some very close ones from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.

Regarding the first bullet point- this is an imposition. It is like your manager at office telling you that you will be paid salaries,

• Only if you complete targets
• Only if you eat food provided by company
• Only if you pray as company instructs you (no matter the religion? you belong to),
• Or even…. only if you pay for all birthdays/anniversaries celebrated at the company (even if you don’t have cash!)

The above points are nowhere mentioned in the Employee Wages Act and the employers can be taken to court if they persist. Also, these are not points of my imagination; but had been imposed in some of the places I worked for the past 20 years.

Anyway, the focus of this newsletter is imposition or forcing some thought/value/language on others.? If you aren’t dismayed by the policies of your company and believe it is slavery, will you change your job?

Will you change or exit your country? Take Tamil Nadu for example.

• South India contributed 31% to India’s GDP in 2023-24, with Tamil Nadu and Karnataka taking the top two spots, followed by Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

(2047 Southern Odyssey - Mystic South Global Linkages Summit 2025).

• Tamil Nadu is a leading state in Human Resource Development (without following the NEP)
• Tamil Nadu is a pioneer in public health services.
• Tamil Nadu has the fourth lowest poverty index among states with?4.89%, after Kerala, Goa (3.76%) and Sikkim (3.82%).
• Tamil Nadu leads in higher education enrollment with a GER of 47%, surpassing the national average of 28.4%. Chandigarh has the highest GER at 64.8%

These points are not my opinions. They are actual facts. You may Google them. Now, in the latest attack on the language war; Tamil Nadu has introduced its own currency symbol.

• What if other southern states as well as states that oppose Hindi opposition do the same?
• What if they plan to exit India? (As California as done in the U.S.)
• What if other states do the same?
• Will the Hindi speaking states be able to bear the desertion and loss of human reources?

India will be partitioned again! Amusingly (as some politicians claim), if it occurs, partition will be caused by decisions of the Central government and not outsiders like British colonialism.

Even an Arab/Muslim nation such as the United Arab Emirates has built temples and has introduced Hindi as an official language. But as a common Indian, I don't have the right to choose in my country....

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Yasir Sulaiman