BENGALURU: Most Indian states were created on linguistic lines. Language is closely tied to culture. Hindi is viewed as a north Indian language with a different cultural subtext. While most Indians understand Hindi and love Bollywood, they feel its ‘imposition’ as an official medium of communication restricts regional culture.-Ujwal Rajamanindra, Management professional Mother tongue: Telugu
There’s no harm in having a particular language for a nation. We should have a single identity, and I don’t think it will affect our regional languages. During the Independence struggle, it was said that India won’t sustain its unity because of the different regions, but we succeeded. -Raashi Upadhyay, Student, REVA University Mother tongue: Hindi
‘One language for all’ beats the ideology of diversity. This is what makes India beautiful. Even if a unifying language were to be chosen, English makes the most sense, as it is the most preferred/useful language for education, employment, and research.
-Brodha V, Lyricist, musician Mother tongue: Kannada
I have grown up speaking Tamil, and just the fact that I am able to speak Tamil does not make me less of an Indian. If we are having a discussion on a national level, then there are lot of issues like poverty and unemployment that need to be talked about.-Saad Khan , Director, screenwriter and acting teacher
Mother tongue: Tamil
Being an Army kid, I never had issues with speaking various languages. However, imposing it always causes resistance. But then, anything against the comfort levels will result in resistance.
-Babita Jaishankar, Image consultant and fashion designer Mother tongue: Malayalam
A balance has to be made when it comes to languages, because in India, we have a bilingual or a trilingual system in education. Schools are slowly moving towards English instead of regional language as the medium of instruction, because there has been a dip in the number of students enrolling in those schools. Let there be English medium schools, but they should also encourage local languages so that in future, it helps the student join public sectors. -Anuradha Ramanna, Head of department, Humanities,
Ramaiah College Mother tongue: Telugu
Languages showcase the culture of that particular place. As a writer myself I can say, any author would love to express in their comfort zone which would be in their preferred language. Forcing them to put it in another language would make the literature lose its quality. According to me, if there is an implementation of only one language the society would lose out on experiencing an art...
-Ruthuparna Sharma, English and Kannada author Mother Tongue: Kannada
India’s language diversity is something I am incredibly proud of, and promoting one language will alter that beautiful weft and weave of languages. I speak four Indian languages, and it only makes me culturally stronger. Let Hindi be one of the many languages of the world.
-Aparna Nori, Photographer Mother tongue: Telugu
The ‘one nation one language’ policy seems misguided. To most people here, the local language is not just a language but our pride. Hindi is a beautiful language, just like every other regional language. Even in Karnataka, there are various sub-languages, like Tulu, Konkani, Malenad Kannada, and Belgaum Kannada. If there’s no diversity, how can we celebrate unity?
-Prathiksha, Student, St. Joseph’s CollegeMother tongue: Kannada