The India we live in is in real danger. As problems mount from external factors, a silly but serious one is eating up our core unnoticed. Regionalism has taken the driver’s seat in some states over the unity and diversity. The language spoken there is being imposed on others who choose to work there or travel there alone. An existential crisis has loomed over the psyches of a few who dare to coerce others into joining the chaos.
One can learn about the ongoing language tussle from various sources. These include national newspapers, television, and social media. The tension exists between people who speak Marathi or Kannada and those who do not, or who speak Hindi. Where some are beaten up for not speaking the language, while some are threatened and humiliated by the taxi/auto/bus drivers/conductors. In India, this type of language hooliganism is occurring in Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Regionalism has also been a controversial topic in the past. People from Bihar and UP were beaten up during the Bal Thackeray era. Now, MNS leaders and workers are leading in that direction. It’s baffling how the soft-spoken Kannadigas are forced into this nonsense.
Factors like politics, regional vote banks, language supremacy, cultural insecurity, and joblessness contribute to these activities. Additionally, regional narrow-mindedness influences state players. Why does a person from a different state come and earn a living here? Meanwhile, our own people are deprived of jobs. It’s the mindset of this mob. Many hotels, small-scale organizations’ nameplates, hoardings, and front gates have been vandalized, if not written in the local language.
Another factor comes into play in this debate. The central government is pushing for the uniform adoption of Hindi all over India. This move has threatened the existence of regional languages. Many local languages have gone extinct over the years due to Hindi. That’s why the imposition of regional language is challenging the imposition of Hindi.
We have to remember that we all live in India. Hindi and English are not our official languages, but they are widely spoken. It often acts as a bridge among people from different parts of India. If one can’t talk about the language, there are other means to communicate feelings. After all, what’s the use of a language? To connect and communicate between two people.Hindi/English/any regional language/Sign language are the tools for communication. It’s a medium to spread love and positivity.
When language is used to spread hate and commit vandalism, it instills fear. In such cases, there’s no point in showing respect for their culture. One can’t force anyone to learn their language or to respect their culture. Bullying only brings defiance and disrespect.
The judiciary and central leadership must step in. They need to enforce the rule of law when the local leaders create insecurity among people. The divide-and-rule policy won’t last long. Yet, unity and diversity will last forever. They have seen many storms in the past. In the tech world, the language barrier in India’s Silicon Valley is baffling. It’s time to resolve the issue first and focus on the real problems, such as infrastructure, health, air quality, and pollution.
The Witty Stride 