NEW DELHI: Making very sharp observations about flawed language policies, Rajya Sabha MP and senior BJP leader has pointed out that only English had gained in Tamil Nadu whereas our own country’s languages Tamil and Hindi took a severe hit.
“Already a generation of people has been created in the State that they cannot write Tamil….now many can’t even read Tamil. And we all know that Hindi has not come to Tamil Nadu for reasons…So, in the process ultimately English language gained at the cost of our own two languages Tamil and Hindi. I am opposed at imposition of English. We must not lose our languages,” he elaborated.
Mr.La.Ganesan was speaking during a short duration discussion on Private Member’s Legislative Business (Bill for consideration and passing) the Constitution Amendment Bill 2016 in the Rajya Sabha on July 21st 2017 (Friday) at 3 p.m.
He cautioned the governments to take concrete steps in protecting and promoting our nation’s languages and “English should not become a sort of mother tongue of our children in coming days. The imposition of English should be stopped. Let the governments consider in toto about languages issue,” he pleaded.
The short duration discussion was on private member’s bill of Mr.Hariprasad to include more languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
“Why this demand to include more and more languages in 8th Schedule is my question. I am not opposed to including, but it is time to take a holistic view by both Central/State governments.If there is an opinion that 8th Schedule gives protection to a language, my reply to them is it is not so,” Mr.La.Ganesan had pointed out.
SEE THE OTHER STATES:
The MP, who is representing Madhya Pradesh in Rajya Sabha, said that Hindi is a link language and all are our national languages.
“Kerala accepted Hindi but Malayalam is also there….in Karnataka, Hindi was accepted but Kannada too gets importance and in the States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana also Hindi was accepted by people there along with their own language Telugu. However, in Tamil Nadu, Hindi language did not come…only English gained,” Mr.La.Ganesan lamented.
Referring to the demand for more languages to be included in the Eighth Schedule, he said that 38 languages are in the waiting list now and already 22 are there in this schedule.
“In September 2003, a committee was set up headed by Sithakant Mohapatra….the committee submitted its report in 2004. The report is still under consideration only. In my opinion, all the languages that originated in our land Bharatha Matha are scheduled are important. So, 8th Schedule is not important, what we want is developing our languages,” he suggested.
HIS SUGGESTION:
The Rajya Sabha MP had raised a question whether State governments had first recognised the importance of their languages….and what did they do to make them official language in their State as a first step….because “only then we can ask the Centre for inclusion in the Eighth Schedule.”
Mr.La.Ganesan summed up saying that it is the State government’s responsibility to support, promote and protect languages in their States.
