Playing language card won’t work anymore
It is understandable for Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, or any other Indian leader, to demand that the proceedings in Parliament should be conducted to the largest extent possible in the national language, but it's preposterous of him to seek a ban on the use of English. Although foreign, English has become part and parcel of our cultural life, and has served as a cutting edge advantage for Indians over other nationals, especially in the field of information technology. Parents across the country desire an ‘English education' for their children as they realise that the language opens the gateway to progress and prosperity.
All of this does not in any way, and if it does it should not, come in the way of the propagation of Hindi or other Indian languages. Politicians like Mr Yadav have since long sought to place English and Hindi on a confrontational course, not out of love for Hindi but to use the situation to build a vote-bank which is fed on the misbelief that continued and increasing use of English is throttling Hindi. The likes of the Samajwadi Party leader are on thin ice when they claim, without substantiating, that countries which use their mother-tongue in Parliament are better advanced. In any case, the lacunae in development in the country have got nothing to do with the wide use of English or the marginalisation of Hindi or regional languages. Mr Yadav knows that well, just as he knows that caste-based and creed-based politics —which he and his party so brazenly practise — have been the real enemies of inclusive progress of society. By all means, enhance the use of Hindi in Parliament; but that can only be done up to a point. India is a country of diverse languages, and Parliament reflects this diversity. Imagine the plight of Members of Parliament from the southern States if they are faced with a barrage of local languages. Would they then not be justified in claiming that they must be allowed to speak in their regional tongue, and that they will question and answer only in their mother-tonguesIJ Chaos will ensue in such a scenario.
It is pertinent to note that Mr Yadav made his demand at a function organised by the Hindi Sewa Trust in his backyard Etawah, and had perhaps believed that he was being politically correct on the occasion. Even as he demanded a ban on the use of English in Parliament, the Samajwadi Party leader quickly added that he was not against English. It was just as well since he, like most politicians who demonstrate a wide gap in speech and action, has ensured English-medium education to his son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. The junior Mr Yadav studied engineering; did he do so in the Hindi mediumIJ Similar questions can be asked of other politicians who rave against English but send their children to English-medium schools. Meanwhile, it would be interesting to know the initiatives the Samajwadi Party regime has taken to promote the legacy of great Hindi writers who have come from the State.