Thursday, October 29, 2009

english V kannada

Yesterday I was travelling in the BMTC (Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation), to home. I was browsing lazily in my mobile phone and a fellow passenger asked me about the mobile phone make and model. I lazily answered to it. He began asking questions about my profession, where I was working, what kind of technology I am onto etc. I was not at all interested in answering him, but formally answered to them all. He then asked me where I am from, and then he began to say that he loves my place and would surely visit the place sometime in his life. I was just smiling to his answers.

All our conversations was in English, and after some routine questions the flow broke. He might have understood that I was not interested in answering his questions. Then this happened. Another co-passenger in the seat before me started to speak in his native language Kannada. He was speaking to the person sitting next to him. I could understand what he was speaking about. He was frustrated and was telling that in Bangalore every other person speaks in English, the language of foreigners and not Kannada. He seems to be frustrated with the fact that there are lot of non-Kannadigas working in Bangalore. He simply won't blabbering about the issue till he got down from the bus.

Then my think-tank opened. Is a language meant to be a tool for communication alone? Well with people whom I have mingled to this date, its not that. Every one speaks proudly about his native language, and if gets an opportunity ditches the other person's language. But WHY?

Those who speaks about India's caste system divides people; and those who have crapped it will be also in the talks for this language debate. They might also forget the fact that language is just a tool for communication.

For me personally, I love all languages. I try to learn as many languages as I can. But most of the times my intellect is not so sharp I end up not learning any languages. But I am proud of the fact that I know at least 4 languages. I am also trying to learn most of the language in the part of the world I am in. I also try to speak in the language. Its only matter of more and more interactions that I may be missing to learn the language.

I am reminded by my memory about the anti-Hindi agitation that had happened some couple of decades back in Tamil Nadu, India. Everyone were agitating against the "national language of India" and they just want to dump Hindi being a national language in Tamil Nadu. They are total fanatics of the language, and they won't even learn Hindi. I don't complain their love for their language. It is much needed for a language to survive. But why should one hate others language.

Let the language debate grow on you, and post some comments so that there is a healthy discussion on hand.

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