Language Row Threatens Unity

The language row that has apparently erupted following the Centre's keenness to implement the New Education Policy, is threatening to pit the southern states against the Union government unless some immediate solution is found.

- PANKAJ VOHRA

The southern states have always been opposed to the imposition of Hindi even though the New Education Policy speaks of the three-language formula where there is no direct evidence of any attempt to foist any language over any region. Had wider consultations been held before the finalization of the formula, things could have been handled much better.

George Bernard Shaw had once commented that two great nations (America and England) were separated by a common language. Both spoke the same language but nevertheless, there were cultural differences which continued to exist and thus the language was not sufficient to cement the relationship.

Even those who have enunciated the New Education Policy and continue to argue in its favour, appear to forget that the spoken or written word was not only about communication. Yes, communication is essential but when it comes to language there is a cultural dimension as well. In other words, every language has a rich background which touches on the heritage and many aspects of a region's cultural life.

For instance, even in the North, there is a change of dialect after one crosses any river and even the colloquial proverbs undergo a change to bring out the kind of lifestyle that exists and the type of living that is followed. The language is not merely an instrument of communication but also a medium of introducing one to the past of a particular area.