Bhasha

 

Languages…... Innumerable and vast. Literally so many.

What is a language anyway? It’s a means of communication. What is communication?? Communication means to express what one human being wants to tell another, their feelings, emotions and their wants. Seems pretty simple. But of course, human beings being humans, tend to complicate every single thing.

Each language is important, has its own nuances and might be completely different from other language or very similar.

I started writing about this after I received a forward about languages and how talking in mother tongue is important and how English has become very prevalent in today’s times and how the younger generation are leaving their roots etc...

It’s true to some extent. Mother tongue, has cognitive affect on the brains. It improves speech, thinking capacity.... All agreed!

But for me, like religion, language is a private affair. I believe in God(s) and I don’t force my opinion on anyone as how one should pray to God. I do tell that there is a Force/ Power/Energy which can’t be explained and what a huge impact it has on us. How one wants to channelize that energy is their choice. Praying, meditation, just sitting in silence, it's an individuals choice. 

Similarly, I am a firm believer that language should solely be used to communicate and nothing else. When language starts to create a divide, then what is the use of such a tool… Our so called “educated lot” create a groups based on languages… Especially when they are in foreign countries…. How does that make sense?? Or we meet some stranger who speaks our language in a new place and immediately one rapport is formed, the fact notwithstanding that they may or may not be great human beings… Noooo that doesn’t matter… They just know our language and that is what matters. So how does this make us educated? We are just judging someone based on the ability to speak a known language. I will not get started on various indifferences people have with people in their own homes who speak the same language. There are some love marriages which are completely successful, mind you, people coming together from totally different languages/regions all together, whereas people belonging to same caste, similar life styles and "speaking same language", theirs not so successful! The irony is lost upon me. 

Our country still lags behind because of these internal differences based on language, caste and what not!

Teach your child mother tongue, but teach him/her to be a better person than to be the one prejudiced based on a language.

I am a Linguaphile. I am enthusiastic to learn anything new. But it might not be the case with everyone. Why force??

Imagine you don’t like a dish and are forced to eat it… How would you feel? Will it make you less human?? 

While focusing on certain things, we forget to focus on the most important things. To live and let live. Respect other peoples choices and let them be, as long as you are not being stifled of your interests...  

Communicate with the language of love and humanity... Remember, silence is sometimes the best answer..