Top down approach restricts freedom to choose language

There was a time in history when there existed over 10,000 languages in the world. Today the “Ethnologue” lists 6000 languages that have registered population figures. 52% of the 6000 languages are spoken by less than 10000 people and 28% are spoken by less than 1000 people. The reality is, with the world getting progressively interconnected more and more languages are being destroyed. Linguists generally agree that no vocabulary can survive unless it has at least 100,000 speakers. It is therefore imperative to realize that languages do die if they are not given due respect and with it dies culture, values and traditions and most importantly a way of life.

Post independence the assistant language status of English should have terminated after fifteen years of independence. However, we refused to severe the umbilical language linkage to England keeping English the official language along with Hindi. Today, the prestigious status enjoyed by English is such that though not a national language in India there are more people who speak English as first or second language than those speaking Sanskrit or any of the 17 languages considered as national language. In response to The Delhi Transport departments’ recently devised special program to teach English to the taxi and auto rickshaw drivers with the view to appease Common Wealth gentry, there is need to rethink the fundamental premises of importance associated with English as a medium of communication in a country with ample linguistic diversity. Is it necessary to hide behind the shield of English when countries like France, Japan and China give high priority to only their native language and yet hold their grounds in a globalized community?

It is unfortunate that today the mundane understanding of a language is limited only to its use as a means of communication. The intrinsic importance of language as a colossal source of wisdom that can affect multiple aspects of life and general well being of an individual is sadly neglected. How else can we justify the apathy of our policy makers to one of the oldest and richest languages of the World-Sanskrit? Sri Aurobindo, while speaking of the importance of the Sanskrit language for India, says "It is of the utmost value to a nation, a human group-soul to preserve its language and make it a strong and living cultural instrument. A nation, race or people, which loses its language cannot live its whole life or real life." This is true for other languages as well.

The time has come to review the entire language situation in the country giving each language its due respect. Discriminative language policies and whimsical decisions of administrators will encourage English to act as a predator to our national languages. I am not averse to the Indian cabbie learning English and reaching out to foreigners but what perturbs me is the imposition of a particular language merely to appease foreign nationals. Admittedly, in a multilingual country like ours choices over language do involve constrains and connections but that the choices exists is recognition for the language. In a democracy the choice of language, including the relative weightage to be attached to their respective demands cannot be the choice of a few English speaking elite politicians and visionless administrative officers. It is undeniably decisional though, but demands the decision of the people to choose and from across all economic sections of the society. The point at issue is not whether the taxi and auto drivers learn English but whether they have a choice to learn other national languages or a combination of languages and perhaps more importantly whether they have some freedom to decide what priority to give to the various languages that they may simultaneously choose from.