Riya Sen [Guru] Reward Points : 93800 Member Since : Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Recently, Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh said that if he comes back to chair, he would ban use of English and computers as he favoured the development of Indian languages such as Urdu, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Oriya and Marathi. He was against the use of English in public life and in government jobs. On use of computers, he said 100 per cent computerisation would render many jobless, as had happened in the U.S. and Japan. Singh said 60-65 per cent unemployment in the farm sector was due to corporatisation of agriculture and mechanisation. Can we have a discussion on this issue?
Posted On : 4/15/2009 2:02:45 AM
Nilanjana Rai Reward Points : 27800 Member Since : Saturday, March 14, 2009
There is nothing wrong in promoting a native language as a medium of mass communication in India. but the question is what should be that language? moreover, in an age of globalisation, English is a must for communicating. Hindi is officially the national language. But how many of us are really comfortable with the language? What about the South Indians? It is easy to say that down with English but it is difficult to offer a solution. If we all start using our regional languages, which one should we use to communicate with people on the other side of the boundary? As far as computers are concerned, this is the IT age. you cant do away with computers but they can definitely take care of the perishing crafts industry and employ better measures for the agricultural sectors. Such tactics cannot really impress the vote abnk or can it?
Posted On : 4/15/2009 5:44:49 AM
Maniam PS [Guru] Reward Points : 137200 Member Since : Wednesday, March 18, 2009
I welcome Mulayam Singh s proposal. It is high time that someone seriously look into the usage of Indian languages in India instead of the English language which has taken a deep, deep root in India. I believe that India is the only country outside the native English speaking countries to use English as an official language in all its communications and transactions. Further, the people of India also seem to have forgotten their mother tongue and communicate with one another in English. Sanskrit, which belongs to the Indians is acclaimed as the mother of all languages but we Indians take some alien language to be ours and feel proud of it. Whilst the French, German, Russian, Japan, China and many more nations of the world are adamant in using their mother tongue in their day to day communications and transactions, we the Indians who have the oldest language in the world are prepared to loose it. I do not understand, why are we not proud of our own mother tongue or National Language. Why must we continue to use a borrowed language when we have our own. Indians must change. They must love their mother tongue and use it on a daily basis. Legislation must be adopted to use the National Language in all communications and transactions. Study of mother tongue and National Language should be made compulsory in both primary and secondary schools. If this is not done, we will loose our languages within a short span of time and we will leave nothing behind for our next generation.
Posted On : 4/16/2009 12:30:54 AM
Suchismita Aditya Reward Points : 11800 Member Since : Saturday, March 14, 2009
I am obviously proud of my mother tongue and would definitely support those who want to uplift the Indian Languages. The stand of Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh is no doubt a noble decision to develop the Indian languages. But in this present period, when English is the medium of communication among the countries all over the world, won t India lag behind when English no longer remains use of English in public life and in government jobs.Anyways the people of West Bengal have been suffering of not having proper use of English in the government areas. There is no room for doubt, that English is the language holding whose hand we have come this way. Furthermore, computers have taken most parts of our lives. Apart from being an instrument, it is the medium which takes us to the world, provides idea of every topic and helps us to enhances our Knowledge. When English and Computers are the backbone of any developing society, how can we live in a society without these two. I am of the view that, the idea of abolishing two important pillars should not be the idea, yet we can definitely keep developing our mother tongues and providing proper training to the people relating computers.
Posted On : 4/16/2009 4:01:40 AM
Maniam PS [Guru] Reward Points : 137200 Member Since : Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Posted By : Suchismita Aditya Posted On : 4/16/2009 4:01:40 AM Go
I am obviously proud of my mother tongue and would definitely support those who want to uplift the I..
Are we saying that without English as the main language, India will not progress and achieve what she has set to achieve. Or, are we saying that countries which are known as world powers used only the English Language to attain the said status. Look at countries like China, Russia, France and Germany, who do not recognise English as an International Language, and insist people who visit their countries to speak their language are they in any way lagging behind in any kind of development??? FYI, they are known as world super powers. Infact, Mandarin is emerging as the world s third international language after English and French. We, with the world s oldest language have got to live on a borrowed language. What an irony
Mr Mulayam s proposal sounds good, but why now, banning of english is not possible, it will take years together as it took hundred of years to adopt english, India is multi linguistic country and there is no common language other then english, hindi has no applicability in south indian states. We are accustom with english language which is your right hand, imagine how difficult it would be without right hand. So the above proposal has no reality. We can t become Russia, China and some other europian country. Secondly banning computerisation is just impossible, computer is part and parcel of our life, it will have adverse affect in our life and it will be a day without sleep, forget about development.
Posted On : 4/17/2009 1:22:38 AM
Maniam PS [Guru] Reward Points : 137200 Member Since : Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Posted By : Anirban Bhattacharjee Posted On : 4/17/2009 1:22:38 AM Go
Mr Mulayam s proposal sounds good, but why now, banning of english is not possible, it will take yea..
Anirban, for heaven sake, please understand that we are not asking to ban the English language. We are just saying give more priority to the National Language. I am quite sure, everyone knows what is a National Language and why you call it a National Language but if you do not give it the distinction that the language deserves, then why call it National Language then??? We are not English people....remember, we are Indians. British has left India about 60 years ago but it seems that India or rather the Indians has not let go of Britain..... I do not know where the problem lies.
Posted By : Maniam PS Posted On : 4/17/2009 8:41:29 PM Go
Anirban, for heaven sake, please understand that we are not asking to ban the English language. We a..
i agree with you Maniam And moreover as per my knowledge goes Mulayam Sing never wanted to Ban English. They want to promote regional languages like Tamil, Urdu or Punjabi along with the national language, Hindi. They have opined to not to make English compulsory in schools and competitive exams. And i think that if English can be made an optional language and regional languages are introduced in exams, for government jobs, then students from rural areas will be able to qualify for administrative positions.
Posted On : 4/17/2009 10:07:09 PM
Anil Tewari Reward Points : 17400 Member Since : Friday, April 17, 2009
When we set out to discuss such issues, there is a tendency to bring in certain points which are hardly anything to do with the issue. Such tendency not only camouflages the issue we want to discuss, but also diverts our attention from the main point. My reply may be of that kind. But can t help. Then hear me as you have been hearing so many useless things: When the Samajvadi Party includes a point on english and computer in its agenda, its intention is two get over the problem of unemployment and undue descrimination. Today, the knowledge of english language and computer operation has become a semblance of good education. And the psychological effect of this illusion is so influential that we give undue weightage to those who possess such knowledge irrespective their competence and moral credibility. In fact, this very knowledge as a great competence and the sign of civility. That is why we find people holding responsible positions with less competence and almost nill moral character, becuase they know how to git-pit in english and how to strike keyboard. Such people are so engrossed in the race of making money via possessing of such knowledge that they hardly reflect over this fact that good education is that which produces good human being. Nobody would disagree that english and computer seem unavoidable today, but this illusion is created by what? Let me take an example. Many people in higher education are fascinated to go abroad for learning and having experience. Many go and come back with better english knowledge and ideologies of the West. And in our country they are given good positions. Since they spent so much time on refining their language skill that their reflective ability became blunt. And when they are asked to make a policy, they formulate a policy in complete disregard to Indian situation. When this policy is implemented, it becomes a burden on the native students. The same thing happens in other areas such as administration, industry. The policy and product which become burden should not be accepted. Then what is the solution? How one should throw away this burden? Perhaps in its sheer desperation the the SP wants to get rid of the very root from where all these sprang. Is it throwing away the baby with bath water, as all those think who are making so much hue and cry? Or, it is just a political stunt? The question is not to prove ourselves civilized before the West, but how to make our country a living country as opposed to a machine country. No doubt, an obsession towards machine rendering humans unemployed would lead to the formation of a machine country. This would be losing the Indian legacy, i.e., WISDOM.
Posted On : 4/17/2009 10:19:43 PM
Riya Sen [Guru] Reward Points : 93800 Member Since : Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Well, probably Mulayam is right when he stood against the use of English in public life and in government jobs. But, my question to Mr. Mulayam is where he was all these years. He has been in Indian politics for long years even he has been Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh for few years. But, at that time, he never announced anything related to the promotion of national language. Now, suddenly few days before election he has awaken to declare that the party is against English medium education and also on the use of computers. He said that his party will work to ensure that they are curbed if a government is formed with its support. Does it anywhere reflect his love for national language, I think it is just to use as an agenda to earn some votes. At a press conference after unveiling his party s manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls he said, The use of computers in offices is creating unemployment problems. Our party feels that if work can be done by a person using hands there is no need to deploy machines. Yadav also mentioned that the party is against the use of agricultural machines in farming and high corporate salaries. He said, A harvesting season brings employment for the labour class for at least six months but these harvesters will snatch their earnings. I just want to ask him one thing how wise is this to ask people to work hard in hot sun when machines can easily do that? Rather he could propose for training the farmers to work with machines and helping them to purchase them.
Ironically, we are discussing the issue in English only. However, I am not much supporter of English or any language for that matter. Go back to History... did we prospered because of English language? No Just learn from those Multinational Companies... they come to our Country, learn the local language and sell their products and take away the money Am I right? You can feel a very good local language on History, Discovery, NGC Channels than that of those who claim Indian. So, where there is a will, there is a way. All you people who discussed this language problem, I would only suggest and remind you that Language is meant for communication. Thats all. At one stage or the other, we might be tribes and might have spoken that languages. Slowly we refined our languages and started attaching signals and symbols like patriotism etc. Its only a political agenda and Mr.Mulayam has a right to say in this biggest Democratic Country. After he expressed his opinion, people vote for him and bring him to power leads to the conclusion that people gave referendum to his contention. Language like thing does not go on force. It is a natural process and developes and dissolves on its own. I and you have little contribution for it. If you watch an old english movie, perhaps, you may not understand and the same is true to a greater extent to other languages. They develop on their own and diminish the same way.
Mulayam Against Use Of English & Computers
