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Re: Re: [Assam] Language & Inferiotity Complex-Article by M. S.Thirumalai

Anjan K. Nath
Thu, 17 Mar 2005 16:24:15 -0800

When one considers how many languages we know that have become extinct in our life time, this debate about the extinction of the Assamese language is rather over-stretched, in my belief.  I cannot see it being wiped out so long as Assam remains a State, Assamese  the Official language, and there are Assamese people.
 
It is true that more people are speaking Hindi and singing Hindi songs, but that happens in other areas too.  In fact, Hindi movies and songs are popular in Malaysia nd even in China.
 
It is also true that students of the Central Schools (Kendrya Vidyalayas) adopt Hindi as their second language in preference to Assamese and are even encouraged to do so by their parents with a view of "joining the National mainstream" -- whatever that may mean!  But all in all, Assamese is still spoken in practically all households;  Assamese literature is developing; there are serious attempts at making good Assamese movies. 
 
So where lies the rub?
 
I guess it is in the attitude.  Why should there be any panic at all?  I do not subscribe to the theory of "Inferiority Complex."  If anything, we seem to have a tendency to look down on others and there is often this "one-upmanship" character that seems to be our un-doing.  As CM once remarked to me about Bengali's and their "cholebe na" attitude.  We have it too.
 
AKN
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2005 9:03 AM
Subject: Re: Re: [Assam] Language & Inferiotity Complex-Article by M. S.Thirumalai

Very well said and understood that there is a problem that Assam might be facing from the Hindi culture.

Now would one of you (you and C'da) be kind enough to tell us why is this happening? Is it lack of love and pride for our own language, inferiority complex, insecurity, glamor, force, good marketing style? what??

And, what is the solution to it? Censor? Go to everyone's home and shut off their tv if they are not watching an Assamese movie/program, or produce classy Assamese movies with good storylines, acting, color production that do not follow the style of the hindi movies - running around the bushes or girls dancing in a club with those mini, mini skirts and men holding poms and dancing, or wearing a bright pink suit?

In short, the causes and the solution please!



 




 
>From: "J. Kalita" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: "Chan Mahanta" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>CC: assam@pikespeak.uccs.edu
>Subject: Re: [Assam] Language & Inferiotity Complex-Article by M. S. Thirumalai
>Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2005 21:52:41 -0700 (MST)
>
>Chandan-dai koowa kothakhini gurutwopurno. Xeituwei dhurup xotyo.
>
>Oxomiya bhaxar bipod dui-ejone Ingraji koowar pora oha nai. Oxomiya bhaxar
>dan~or bipod hol Hindi bhaxa. Oxomiya manuhe Ingraji koi native English
>speaker hobo nooware hazar bosor goleo. Kintu, Oxomiya manuhe, Oxomiya
>lora suwaliye Hindi TV sai sai, Hindi cinema sai sai, Hindi schoolot
>porhi, Hindi koowa thailoi furiboli goi, keibosor manote
>xolxoliyakoi Hindi kobo pare native Hindi speaker-or nisinakoi.
>
>Ingraji nijor bhaxa koriboloi 1000 bosor, aru Hindi nijor bhaxa koriboli
>5-10 bosor!!
>
>Aru Oxomot birat sap Hindi xikiboloi aru koboloi. Bortoman Oxomot 20-30ta
>Hindi TV channel 24/7, 0ta Oxomiya 24/7 channel. Oxomiya konmoinaho~te
>Hindi channel-he sai, Hindi ganhe xune, Hindi cinema-he sai, Hindi gan
>bojaihe
>biyai-xohbai-bihut nase. Todupori, jikhini thait (jene Arunachal,
>Nagaland, Meghalayat) Oxomiya kisu koisil tat Hindir pura rajatwa sorkari
>policy-r karone. Gotike Hindi je dan~or xotru Oxomiya bhaxar xeitu xui
>thoka manuhehe najane buli kobo.
>
>English can never become the mother tongue of an Assamese; hardly any
>Assamese will speak English with an English or American or Australian
>accent to become an English speaker. The world will not recognize it.
>However, an Assamese can easily learn Hindi and start to speak Hindi like
>a native, more or less, and be recognized as such. Soon, if in Assam,
>there is no "need" for Assamese, these folks will speak in Hindi only.
>
>Also, the geographical boundaries of traditional Assamese speaking areas
>are being eroded by Hindi. Hindi has taken over Arunachal to our north and
>east, Hindi has taken over Nagaland to some extent to our east, Hindi has
>taken over Meghalaya to our south. Hindi is a bigger danger than English
>can ever be to the Assamese people.
>
>Slow Hindi-ization is a way to remove Assamese nationalism.
>English-learning and English-speaking is not a hindrance to growth of
>Assamese nationalism.
>
>Hindi and Assamese are much more cognate languages than English and
>Assamese. A more congate language can already overshadow a language with
>1/40th or 1/50th the number of speakers.
>
>Jugal Kalita
>
>
> >
> > I was asking WHY speaking 'pidgin English' amounts to lack of PRIDE
> > and thus a danger to the survival of the Assamese language ( as DNB
> > contends) but widespread speaking of 'pidgin Hindi' by the same folks
> > do not .
> >
> >
> >
> >>As far as Hindi is concerned - it hasn't yet reached the 'status' of
> >>Ingrezi. Its the language of the masses, So pidgin Hindi doesn't
> >>amount to much, while English is still considered the language of
> >>the elite in India - the Sahib's language. So there it is - The
> >>English left in 1947, but they sure did leave us the language.
> >
> >
> > *** Your explanation is that English is looked up to as the elites'
> > way, thus a danger, but Hindi is ordinary folks' language( obviously
> > for Assamese folks' too), and thus it is not a danger.
> >
> > Did I understand you correctly Ram?
> >
> > And if I did, and if I asked you to grade yourself on that answer,
> > how would you grade yourself? Pass or fail? A, B, C, D, F--what :-)?
> >
> >
> > *** The fact of the matter Ram, is that DNB and his admirers and
> > supporters on the matter in this net are unable to admit the fact
> > that the latter, the proliferation of Hindi influence on the Assamese
> > is a far greater danger to the integrity of the Assamese language,
> > not English.
> >
> > Not that they are unable to see it. It is just that to admit it,
> > would be inimical to their pan_Indian political aspirations. So, they
> > would just as soon not see it.
> >
> > But to not see it signals yet another fact: That they are far less
> > concerned about the Assamese language's integrity or long term
> > survival, than their concern about Assamese nationalism.
> >
> > The fact that the Assamese people have not paid heed to this group of
> > people's concerns make them angry. They think the Assamese people are
> > foolish. They want them to feel guilty. What better way to make that
> > happen, than to suggest that they, the people who harbor aspirations
> > of an Assamese sub-national or national identity have no sense of
> > pride in their most significant icon of identity--their language,
> > that they suffer from 'inferiority complex' and thus are unworthy of
> > such aspirations. And to prove it, they cite the Assamese people's
> > aspirations for speaking in English, even 'pidgin English', never
> > mind that the percentage of such people is minuscule.
> >
> >
>
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