Controversy over English language is not new in India. The controversy surrounding the language between well-known actor Ajay Devgan and Kannada cinema’s big star Kicha Sudeep is also not surprising. While Bollywood has its own take on this controversy, there are different voices coming from the South. Artists and leaders of other languages are also contributing to the controversy. While there is no doubt that Bollywood has played a role in spreading and popularizing English, one has to understand the conditions and limitations of English in Bollywood. The affection and affection that English has spread should be understood, its generosity and ability to walk together must also be seen at a glance.
A film by Raj Kapoor, The country where the Ganges flows, has a song written by Shailendra, Yeh Purab Hai, Purab Wale / Know the value of every life / Live together and love / One thing that lives We belong to the country in which the Ganges flows.
You will find that North India or India in particular has been Ganga-centric and we have been saying that we belong to the country in which the Ganges flows. Although Krishna, Kaveri, Sutlej, Jhelum, Periyar are also there in this country, and dear Ram was born on the banks of Saryu and got absorbed in it, but you can tell a single song of Bollywood, which is made on Saryu. ? In Bollywood, the river Ganga is also remembered along with Ram. So which is this Bollywood, where language should not be taken too seriously.
I was watching the latest debate on English on Twitter and elsewhere. We are not able to make any distinction between national language, contact language, official language and mother tongue, we are mixing everyone together. No matter how much you impose English on Tamil speakers, they will not say that English is the mother tongue. It has to be understood that we are actually multilingual. For example, my mother is from Bhojpur, father is from Bagheli, village Chhattisgarhi, so which language should I say that it is my mother tongue? Here we must be generous. Yes, it is a proud fact that English is a very good language, the third language in the world, it is spoken in many countries.
We are a very diverse republic and after a long process, a nation or a national language is formed. The United States of America is still a group of states, it is still not a nation in the way we are being assumed here. Anyway, nowhere in the Constitution is that English is the national language. All are official languages. There is also English. There has also been opposition to English. If we notice, somewhere a popular belief is created and people start believing it. Public belief is something else and reality is something else. This contradiction will never subside. There was a time in the country, when names written in English at railway stations and elsewhere were painted in color and were instead written in English. There was movement or politics in favor of English etc. English can become the language of politics, but it cannot become like Mandarin in China or Japanese in Japan.
Long ago the three language formula was given in the country. In studies, English, English and a regional language remained, but this did not happen, we were confused between English or other languages. It is sad, those who are speaking in favor of English in a hurry, they do not know the difference between contact language, official language, mother tongue. The English protest rising from the south is also not proper, but whenever you raise your voice in favor of English, then there will be opposition in the south. Nothing happens in favor of English only because of the large population.
Look in the movies now, none of Ajay Devgan’s films have earned the same amount as the South films KGF, RRR etc. It is a good thing, South films are coming in English also, so we accept and should also do. Today English is the strong language of the market, it is known by everyone from north to south. In fact, there is no opposition to English anywhere, but we know, it is sometimes deliberately raised.
(These are the author’s own views)