Video Editor: Vishal Kumar
Once again, the debate on Hindi has started. Those in favour of Hindi have been sloganeering 'Hindi-Hindu-Hindustan', terming Hindi the pride of our culture. It seems as if they will speak Hindi and the country's problem of unemployment will vanish. People who are opposing Hindi are also tensed. As if all other languages will disappear and only Hindi will survive.
Questions have been raised on the home minister’s argument that if we don’t speak Hindi, will India’s unity break? Will the country not be recognised in the world? And if Hindi is going to be Hindustan the people speaking other languages will ask – 'Janab Aise Kaise?'
According to 2011 Census:
Meaning that most people speak Hindi but in every state Hindi is not the first language. And if we are talking about 'one nation one language', then we should know what's happening to this language.
The condition of the language is bad in the biggest Hindi-speaking state. At least 10 lakh UP Board students failed in the language subject in 2019.
Let’s also talk about Hindi in UPSC exams. The plight of the aspirants coming from Hindi-medium schools is not unknown.
In 2019, the person who scored the most among Hindi-medium students got 337th rank overall – the worst result so far.
What sort of a love is this? Hindi is supposedly going to get India recognition on a world-stage, but those studying it in India are not doing as well.
It is not without reason that the BJP is showering love on Hindi. Hindi gets politicians into power.
There are 10 states that fall under the Hindi-belt, where Hindi is the primary language – Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Haryana, Delhi.
Along with that, four of these states – Jharkhand, Haryana, Delhi and Bihar – are going to polls in 2019 and 2020.
So, the BJP has a benefit in setting the narrative around 'Hindi, Hindu and Hindustan'. And the formula to bring voters together on an emotional issue has proven to be a hit in the past.
In a country where every 100 km, the food, culture and languages change, the imposition of Hindi will be opposed. Be it at the UN or any other platform, leaders like Swami Vivekanand and Atal Bihar Vajpayee have given speeches in Hindi, and the people who did not understand Hindi, used the translation to understand it. The bitter truth is that politicians don’t create languages, common people create them.
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