Anti-Hindi Campaign on Twitter Targets PM Modi's Speech

Posted: 8 years ago

http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/anti-hindi-campaign-on-twitter-targets-pm-modis-speech-1208594?utm_source=ndtv&utm_medium=top-stories-widget&utm_campaign=story-1-http%3a%2f%2fwww.ndtv.com%2findia-news%2fanti-hindi-campaign-on-twitter-targets-pm-modis-speech-1208594

 

Anti-Hindi Campaign on Twitter Targets PM Modi's Speech

NEW DELHI:  The new and catchy "Start Up India, Stand Up India" campaign that Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in his Independence Day speech procured international headlines. But in South India, objections were flagged quickly, with the hashtag #stophindiimposition trending as the PM delivered his address from the stunning Red Fort.

A group of people comprising bloggers and techies and other professionals called PLE (Promote Linguistic Equality) Bengaluru claim responsibility for the hashtag and say they are against "the imposition of Hindi" on the country by the union government.

"Only 25 per cent of the country speaks in Hindi. Then why is it that the Prime Minister is speaking only for them?" said Vallish Kumar, a PLE member.

PLE's note of dissent seemed to resonate quickly with tweets from states like Odisha and Maharashtra complaining that too often, crucial signage is posted in English or Hindi, but not the regional language.

Arun Javgal from Karnataka tweeted a picture of a ticket from Bangalore to Mysore that had information in English and Hindi, but not Kannada.

Eminent educationist Vibha Parthasarathy said opposing Hindi has to be measured - if the alternative is English, then even fewer people understand it, she said . "Don't more people understand Bollywood films?" she said to NDTV, "So why did they only protest against the government's language usage? There has to be an Indian language linking all, and the number of those understanding Hindi is now far greater (than in earlier times)."

But Apurvanand, a professor of Hindi at Delhi University, disagreed. "Even if a small number of people are opposing Hindi, it should be noted by authorities. Why shouldn't the Prime Minister's speech be translated into all languages simultaneously?"

However, standup comic from Bangalore Praveen Kumar says the whole issue is missing perspective. "Don't we gain from learning a language? I just know that if I go to North India and crack a joke in Hindi, I'll get more laughs," he said.

Story First Published: August 18, 2015 19:07 IST

 

Posted: 8 years ago
'Only 25% of the population speaks Hindi' ...wut?
Posted: 8 years ago
Originally posted by iMini


'Only 25% of the population speaks Hindi' ...wut?
Maybe he means as mother tongue.
Posted: 8 years ago
Originally posted by souro



Maybe he means as mother tongue.
The point is that 45-50% of the people know fluent Hindi in India and that's what matters the most when the PM or anyone should decide in which language should any message be conveyed to the people. Mother tongue or not,majority should understand the language.I don't see any suitable alternative to Hindi.
India is too diverse.There should be translators appointed.Edited by iMini - 8 years ago
Posted: 8 years ago
Originally posted by iMini


The point is that 45-50% of the people know fluent Hindi in India and that's what matters the most when the PM or anyone should decide in which language should any message be conveyed to the people. Mother tongue or not,majority should understand the language.I don't see any suitable alternative to Hindi.
India is too diverse.There should be translators appointed.


The Like was accidental. I do not agree with your comment.

India has had a long time to decide the issue of offficial language. To me it is perverse to impose a foreign language on the 75% whose mother tongue is not Hindi. Why not impose some other language (not Hindi) and use your argument of supplying translators?

BTW I also have problems with the impostion of Urdu in Pakistan. Ironically Jinnah didn't speak Urdu. At the time of partition, the most commonly spoken language of Pakistan was Punjabi.
Posted: 8 years ago
Originally posted by Deepthought





The Like was accidental. I do not agree with your comment.

India has had a long time to decide the issue of offficial language. To me it is perverse to impose a foreign language on the 75% whose mother tongue is not Hindi. Why not impose some other language (not Hindi) and use your argument of supplying translators?

BTW I also have problems with the impostion of Urdu in Pakistan. Ironically Jinnah didn't speak Urdu. At the time of partition, the most commonly spoken language of Pakistan was Punjabi.
Why compare to a nations like Pakistan when you can camp are to countries more developed than India?
Posted: 8 years ago

The Like was accidental. I do not agree with your comment.

India has had a long time to decide the issue of offficial language. To me it is perverse to impose a foreign language on the 75% whose mother tongue is not Hindi. Why not impose some other language (not Hindi) and use your argument of supplying translators?

BTW I also have problems with the impostion of Urdu in Pakistan. Ironically Jinnah didn't speak Urdu. At the time of partition, the most commonly spoken language of Pakistan was Punjabi.
Why compare to a nations like Pakistan when you can camp are to countries more developed than India?
I can't quite make out what you meant by your last sentence due to typo or syntax on your part.

The comparison with Pakistan is only because both countries as independent entities came into existence at the same time and have a shared history. 

The language issue has not been solved by any multilingual nation. The Americans imposed English and largely still do. They have occasionally given some leeway to Spanish speakers with some public messages in Spanish. The UK imposed English on Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland. Interstingly in the last 30 years, Welsh and Gaelic have made a comeback. 
Posted: 8 years ago
Deepthought-think deeply and suggest an alternative language.
Till the PM has no translators appointed,he better speak the language both he and majority of Indians are comfortable with.
His mother tongue too isn't Hindi.
It's easy to become anti-hindi,but haters never become pro-something.If they use another language-pessimists be like why not hindi? 😆 They'll always be anti.
And BTW..you can always unlike a post🤣
Posted: 8 years ago
Originally posted by iMini


Deepthought-think deeply and suggest an alternative language.
Till the PM has no translators appointed,he better speak the language both he and majority of Indians are comfortable with.
His mother tongue too isn't Hindi.
It's easy to become anti-hindi,but haters never become pro-something.If they use another language-pessimists be like why not hindi? 😆 They'll always be anti.
And BTW..you can always unlike a post🤣

It is easy for you to say that (Hindi) is the language the majority of Indians are comfortable with - but why do you think the campaign against began in the first place! Significant numbers of people are clearl;y not happy! I am not anti-Hindi in that I dislike the language. I simply raised the matter of imposing a language that is clealry not spoken by the overwhelming mass of indians. My argument equally applies to Urdu in Paistan.

I'm not sure there is a simple solution to this issue if one cares for the sentiments of significant numbers of millions of people. What I do know is that language diversity needs to be valued and conserved, rather like biodiversity in the world of nature. Language and thought are closely tied together and the loss of languages (and there is research that shows the number of human languages is rapidly declining) will lead to the loss of different ways of thinking too.
Posted: 8 years ago
Deep thought:whining is easy,providing solutions not.Recommend a 'solution' and I will shut up.Recommend an alternative language.
Didn't I say he should appoint translators? Why create a fuss then?Edited by iMini - 8 years ago

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