I have seen several Koreans, Japanese and Chinese who are unable to speak English yet their countries are addressed as developed. I also met several IPS and IAS officers in my life, who are not so well-versed in English but still they are the best in their profession. I would like to draw your attention towards the irony that we have several stars in Hindi film industry, (today's Bollywood) who cannot speak in Hindi but still they are very much there. When they come before the audience in the silver screen they in their American kind of accent prattle their dialogues whereas they use Hindi like seasonings (Baghaar or Chhounka) when they appear in the small screen, TV, for interviews while their whole interview remains in English. I am not opposed to English but my point is that you should be well versed in the national language, which is the very foundation of the national integrity. A country where people defy or hate the national language cannot sustain for long. We should say thanks to our leaders that they are illiterate otherwise, the language with the most scientific alphabets, would have died down years ago. I tried to analyse why people in India speak too much in English even in those circumstances where there is no need for using this language- say, a conversation in English between four persons having Hindi as their mother-tongue. I felt that the English speaking people in India are those who want to display their supremacy over those who are either illiterate or have studied in the government schools. Tell me, which state-government run school in India has English as medium of instruction? None, simply because these schools provide education free-of-cost. As you know, you have no choice to question the quality of the products that come free-of-cost. In this most corrupt nation, there is a major education mafia at work, which has ruined the government schools so that the private schools can flourish. This mafia is blocking the prospects of students of 'free-of-cost' schools and is making them feel that they are inferior to those who speak in English. This strategy works as the victims of inferiority complex will not repeat the mistake their parents did as they will send their children to the English medium schools shelling off half of their earnings on their children's eduction. On the other hand, the private schools are selling themselves on the pretext of providing education in English medium. Sale and purchase can happen only in the market. And market is offered to those who have wealth, who have ability to buy. These Hindi specific people are those who have studied in government schools because of their poor economic background; they are also the ones who never wanted to remain illiterate but were left with no other choice but to study in government schools where the medium of instruction is Hindi only (in north India) due to poverty. Our leaders are those who came from poor families and shaped their lives after much struggle. We should feel pity on them for their possible struggle in their lives and also feel proud of them that their struggle made them a celebrity at last. They are the ones who can associate themselves with their tribes in a better way than our English speaking lot. At last but not the least: We can say Rich English, Poor Hindi. You can replace any vernacular language with Hindi.
G MANJU SAINATH
