Originally posted by: K.Sean
That's actually a big misconception that exists here. People in the South do not speak Hindi.. however that doesn't mean they don't understand it either. Most people in the South state capitals understand Hindi. Heck, Hindi is even understood by some people living in Afghanistan.
Given that Hindi IS the most spoken and widely understood language in our country.. Bollywood actors/actresses should speak in Hindi instead of favouring the language that some foreigners brought in many years ago. Period.
Ummm, the people in the South understand Hindi (and not even like you say, only to an extent) because the government of India decided that a foreign language (yes, foreign) should be imposed on other regions of India.
As for Afghanistan, yes some of them do understand Urdu. So let's talk about how government implemented the teaching of a standardized Hindi in order to make the the standardized Hindi the official language (and perhaps national, not sure). But of course the backlash forced them to include English as an official language as well, though they hoped for English to fade out. But it didn't and it won't.
Coming to your point of most people living in South state capitals understand Hindi.
1) It's really not most people.
2) Even many of them who really do understand Hindi fluently or well enough, will be annoyed at those who try to come at them speaking Hindi instead of English in a Southern metro--when it's obvious the person knows English as well. Because it reeks of Hindi nationalism which many Southerners still have issue with, even though there no longer exists the strong dislike of Hindi as there used to be.
3)The reason they understand Hindi is because the Indian curriculum makes them take Hindi, while the Indian curriculum doesn't make Hindi speakers take another Indian language. See the double standard? See the enforcement and elevation of one Indian language over others? One Indian language family over others? (Though I think there are some schools which allow you NOT to take Hindi. You can get away with Tamil, English and a foreign language, I believe.)
4) Just because they may understand some Hindi, it doesn't mean their level of understanding reaches fluency. That would be like saying everyone who took a foreign language for years in school understand that language.
Yes, there are people who understand and are fluent. But it's nothing like you say--most people. And yes, there are those who learn it and try their best to learn the language, and those who like the language and want to learn the language. And there are those who learn it so it will help them with their career, for themselves, etc And there are those who move around India and end up becoming more comfortable with the language, or learn the language that way.
But if you want to talk about English being the language of foreigners, plenty of India can say that about Hindi as well--that it is a foreign language imposed on them :)
Edited by likarsh - 11 years ago
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