Importance of Speaking Hindi

[Harold F. Schiffman]

Importance of Speaking Hindi
Importance of a language

There are many reasons to learn a language, to communicate with people
effectively and be understood, not misunderstood - is probably the most
common reason. It looks very odd and upsetting when we move in our country
and could not communicate with people of different parts because we do not
have a common language. We know that all together 18 official languages
and over 300 dialects are represented by the population of India along
with English. But English is limited to a limited section (about 3%) of
people of the country whereas regional languages have their own
boundaries.

Importance of Hindi

It is the language of poetry, wisdom, mystery, philosophy and song. Over
many years since its initial emergence, Hindi has enriched and expanded
the Asian world through these and other fields, and has spread to become
the second most spoken language in the world. Its speakers today view it
as one of the most beautiful and emotionally expressive languages one can
learn, enabling them to communicate just as forcefully in poetry as in
commerce. In terms of difficulty, it ranks as one of the easiest and most
logical languages to read, write, and pronounce.

In the era of knowledge explosion and mobility, the world is becoming a
smaller place and migration for work and other purposes to different parts
of India in particular and the world in general is becoming increasingly
common. Hence, there is a great need now for learning a common language.
This enables self-sufficiency in understanding the different cultures,
where work or pleasure may take us. Hindi is one of the languages which
have world wide presence. Hindi is essential for national integration. A
vital role Hindi language can play as an effective tool for national
integration and unity of the country is always stressed. Hindi should be
developed as one link language of India because of its widespread use and
it is an Indian language along with regional language and English for
special purposes (business and science). People always argue that how many
languages they can learn but a person may easily learn 2-3 languages. It
is only our attitude which stops us from doing so.

Major Milestones of Hindi

* Hindi is the second most spoken language in the world after Chinese.

* About 50 crore people speak Hindi, in India and abroad and people who
can understand the language is about 80 crore.

* Hindi is becoming international language as countries are establishing
their businesses in India and asking their employees to learn Hindi. Hindi
has become second language of UK as all the asians (including Sri Lankans)
are using it as a link language. Same thing is happening in gulf
countries.

* Statistics say something like 78% of Indians understood or spoke Hindi
as a first or second language.

* Hindi is widespread in major cities, even in the southern states of
Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and even in Kolkata.

* Very few people in India are apposing Hindi but now Hindi is the most
popular language in non-hindi speaking states of India.

* 70 to 85% of television news consumption in India is from Hindi
Channels.

* The Bollywood films are more popular than Hollywood films in the
international market and have reached half the world - the middle east,
all of Africa, all of Russia and the far east.

* Hindi is the primary language of entertainment, media and journalism in
India. Hindi has attained worldwide popularity that even foreign
television channels aired Hindi programmes.

* Many cellular companies have introduced Hindi SMS facility, as they very
well knew that their survival in the country by ignoring Hindi was
impossible.

* Indian music is becoming increasingly influential in mainstream music
through out the world.

Role of Educated People

* Speaking English only does not mean to be educated. In order to
legitimize themselves as educated or of a certain status, Indians feel
that they have to show that they can speak English.

* Educated people have more responsibility to embrace Hindi as a link
language between them and their country men.

* Hindi medium can be utilized by educated people to spread scientific and
technical knowledge among the masses.

Role of Common People

* Everywhere in India, there is a craze for English and this is partly out
of necessity and partly out of a deep seeded inferiority complex.

* A person should not be judged by whether or not he can speak English.

* Speaking many languages doesn't make any one culturally oppressed to
know another language.

* Children who are going to municipal schools are considered to be
incompetent simply because they don't know English.

* People speaking little-bit of Hindi should be encouraged and helped to
learn more instead of making fun of them.

* People should learn Hindi on their own considering it a link language of
nation without thinking that it is being imposed on them.

Central & State Governments Programmes

* Governments (central and state) have to play a major role in promoting
Hindi leaving aside all political mileage out of this issue.

* Crores of rupees are spent to celebrate Hindi Divas/Hindi Pakhwara and
publication of books in Hindi. Under these programmes various types of
competitions, workshops, seminars and other types of programmes are
conducted. Money spent on these programmes, helps in generating a
conducive atmosphere for the propagation of official language Hindi and
for the implementation of the official language policy of the Government
of India.

* There is hardly any state of India where Hindi is not being taught in
elementary to high school level as a second or third language.

Role of Politicians

* Hindi was the common man's language during the freedom struggle of
India. Many non-native Hindi speakers such as Patel, Gandhi, and Netaji
endorsed Hindi. It looks very disheartening when the present politicians
do politics at national & state levels on the basis of speaking or using
Hindi language.

Sincere efforts should be undertaken taken for popularizing and promoting
Hindi language at government levels as well as at common man's level. To
popularize Hindi, it should be simplified for the common people to easily
communicate in it. Special efforts must be made in the non-Hindi states to
nurture and promote Hindi. In multilingualism India a proper place has to
be given to Hindi - as a national language/official language / link
language and then only there will be "Unity in diversity" in true sense in
the country. Future generation in India should learn to speak Hindi
fluently, in addition to any other language that they need to know - like
English or any regional language or their mother tongue if it is different
from the regional language(s) and then we will never feel outsiders any
where in our own country.

Dr SS Verma, The writer is with the Dept of Physics, SLIET, Longowal

http://www.centralchronicle.com/20060920/2009302.htm

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