DR SAMUEL Johnson, British lexicographer and prominent literary figure of the 18
th century felt ‘language is the dress of thought’. The
Indian languages influenced by various cultures and ethnic elements, have evolved through the ages. The 1971 census listed 1652 languages as mother tongues spoken in India. The constitution of India recognises 18 official languages of the country. Through the civilisations, a number of languages have become obsolete and faced extinction, in its place emerged new ones.
In modern India, the large numbers of languages have produced linguistic divisions. The major division is between the Aryans who speak Hindi and the Dravidians who use regional language. The latter detest Hindi and propagate the use of English. Article 343 [1] of the constitution of India recognises Hindi in the Devnagari script as the official language of the Union. Hindi is also the official language of nine states in India and the mother tongue of a vast number of Indians. Yet it has failed to succeed as the official language of India. There are many factors contributing to the failure of Hindi in India, chief among these are – lack of political will, the north-south divide and people’s apathy towards the language.
Notwithstanding the official status of Hindi our policy makers are not really successful in promoting it effectively. Many people succumb to the belief that English and modernisation are synonymous. In a span of over five decades, the status of Hindi even in Hindi speaking states has deteriorated. Since Hindi does not get due recognition in its own states it can’t attain the true status of an official language.
Most the Dravidian states in South India aren’t really willing to readily accept Hindi as an official language. These states use their local language for official use and English as the link language. They think of Hindi as the language of the underdeveloped rural areas of North India. When Hindi was made compulsory the southern states declined to accept it outright fearing that this will threaten the identity of local languages. They coined slogans like ‘English ever, Hindi never’. Linguistic chauvinism has contributed to the widening of the North-South divide in acceptance of Hindi as the official language of the Union.
We can say that the deterioration in the use of Hindi has been brought about by the people themselves who have failed to give the language its due status. English, on the other hand has been flourishing even after 61 years of independence from the colonial rule. English is the language of the elite and fluency in the language has become a status symbol. Knowledge of this foreign language gives self-confidence and brightens one’s job prospects.
Hindi and its literature, with its khariboli dialect, had become the chief literary medium by the 19th century. Hindi can boast of its rich literary heritage. Kabir, Tulsidas and later Munshi Premchand, Bhartendu Harishchandra, Maithli Sharan Gupt, Jayshankar Prasad, Suryakant Tripathi Nirala, Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi and Agyeya enriched the literature with their immortal contributions. Yet, the language failed to achieve its due status. Before the colonial rule, the medium of instruction in India was the vernacular language. During the colonial rule, people were so influenced by the western education and their liberal view that they felt English language was a sign of progress. English became the medium of instruction and soon trade and administration started using English in their daily work.
English being an international language is accepted and understood by majority of people across the globe. Its true that Russia, China, Germany, France, Italy have their own state languages but they also feel handicapped when they are in other countries. Language is the articulate expression of thought and feeling between people. With scientific and technological development, the world is shrinking. There is no denial of the fact that India being a developing nation, endeavoring towards self reliance needs a language which is comprehended the world over. By showing apathy towards English, we would be hindering our own progress.
Gradually Hindi is now spreading all over India. Hindi has been an academic discipline in Kerala for many years. People in south enjoy watching Hindi serials and movies beamed through satellite channels. Under the Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha, a large number of people from the south are taking Hindi examination. Hindi press also thrives and has made its presence felt in many parts of India. The importance of English in India can’t be denied and both languages should be allowed to flourish side by side. Pt Nehru had aptly pointed out that English would inevitably remain an important language for us because of our past associations and also because of its present importance in the world.
