Wednesday, January 27, 2010

India reaches retirement age....

Ok.Ok. I've posted this a couple of days late. Big deal. As we say sweetly in India when we goof up, "Don't mind, saar." I've been running around keying in columns, packing for Cambodia,forgetting important stuff.... you know, pre-travel panic.
Jaipur vignettes keep coming up. I was narrating juicy tidbits from the trip - what exactly happened in the Pink City over a sumptuous dinner hosted by the sweetest husband on earth ( no, not mine! Mita's .... sigh!) - to David Davidar and Mike Bryan ( my best buddies at Penguin Books). Our conversation took place over dahi puri and lassi at the Sea Lounge this afternoon. At the end of it all, they refused to believe me! Well... perhaps I had proved to be a particularly dangerous catalyst that night, for I was told by these worthy gentlemen that they would never associate the sequence of events as I described them , with the people who were present at the table. Aah well.... a good time was had by all, so who the hell is complaining? All I can reveal is that I sang a duet (" Besame Mucho") with Biddu (whose autobiography aptly titled 'Made in India' was launched at the book fair earlier), and rather enjoyed myself!
It's a pity I couldn't accept Ameena Saiyid's invitation to participate in the Karachi Literature Festival, since the dates were clashing with my book launch in Paris. I love Karachi and have good friends there ( yoo hoo Nadya, Abbas and Nasreen). Perhaps next year.... inshallah.

Oh, and for those who may want to watch the re-re-telecast of 'The State of the Nation' on cnn-ibn ( Kiran Bedi, Sharmila Tagore, Vinod Mehta, Mr. Subramaniam and moi), ably anchored by Sagarika Ghosh ( gosh! she sure has grown into her job after a shakey-shrieky start), you can catch it on the 30th of Jan at 8pm. And 31st of Jan at 12pm. Worth watching!

*********************
The Republic celebrates its 60th birthday tomorrow and I hope we’ll be able to blow out 61 candles on that gigantic cake with confidence,joy and optimism.The overall scenario is looking pretty good, and even the worst cynic will have to admit India’s report card is not all that bad… definitely well above just ‘pass marks’. While it isn’t exactly time to chorus, “ Aall eeez welll,” compared to most of our neighbours (distant ones included), we are doing just fine, thank you. At 60, the Republic is going strong, enjoying reasonably good health, and is financially secure. India’s senior citizen status should be seen in the right context – the slight graying at the temples is quite attractive, and so long as the knees remain stable, India does not have to buckle down. Stamina and staying power do need to be worked on…. but India enrolling at a high-tech gym can go in for some serious cardio exercises and emerge with an even sturdier heart in future.
In Mumbai, the story is more mixed. On one level, we have a youngish, educated Chief Minister attempting to woo the electorate with populist moves that seem to backfire on the poor guy. But in his defence ( for a change!), I have to say there is nothing fundamentally wrong in his suggestion that local cabbies should know Marathi. Of course they should!! Isn’t that how it works all over the world? Imagine a London cabbie not knowing English, or a cabbie in Rome not speaking a word of Italian. Why go that far?? Try giving directions in Hindi to a cab driver in Kolkata \Chennai \Kochi. Chances are he’ll throw you out of the cab! Would a Maharshtrian cabbie who only speaks Marathi be given a license to ply a cab in Delhi? Yes, the constitution of the country does guarantee freedom of movement\employment across the nation. But in purely practical terms, aren’t we missing something here? By all means let cabbies from Meghalaya ( frankly, I have yet to come across a cabbie from the North East anywhere in India) or any other state, come in droves to Mumbai. But let them learn not just the local language but local roads before they get that license. That is such a basic requirement, I am surprised it has been converted into a political tinder box. Ashok Chavan’s wording may have been wrong, but in principle he is absolutely right. Perhaps we need to get fundamental issues out of the way, before we twist this into an ugly ‘outsider\insider’ war. More taxis on Mumbai’s choked streets are going to be bad enough ( the city is gasping for breath), but more taxi drivers who don’t have even a working knowledge of Marathi?? Sorry – that is unacceptable. We know how easily unqualified drivers acquire instant licenses ( by bribing as little as 3000 bucks), often without appearing for the mandatory test. It’s a gigantic network of touts that makes this possible in record time ( 3 to 5 days). These are the men we often entrust our life and belongings to. When things don’t work out for any of them, they go back where they’d come from, disappearing without a trace. We talk about terrorist attacks from the skies – perhaps we need to think about threats posed by dodgy men parading as cabbies, whose antecedents are unknown. Learning Marathi is the easy part - why, even Qasab is cheekily responding in Marathi to questions in court ( he can get a job as a cabbie quite easily!), but scrupulously screening drivers from other states and ensuring they are technically qualified to carry passengers, is a far more crucial security task.
Just as an experiment, do hail a cab one of these days and speak to the guy in Marathi. Give him directions to take you somewhere close…. and see the fun.
Happy Republic Day!

38 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi !

Some basic mistake in your analysis here. Knowledge of local language in right perspective mean as follows : Locally understood language ... which does not mean only the regional language. In Mumbai Hindi would also qualify as a local language. I am yet to meet any Marathi speaking fellow in my entire life who could not speak any basic Hindi which would be enough for a Taxi Wallah. In other words has any Marathi speaking fellow ever left stranded on the roads of Mumbai because his/her directions were not understood by the Taxi Wallah... the answer is a big NO. You are right this will not work in let us say Kerela or Tamil Nadu, where a UP / Bihar Taxi Driver could not even think to operate due to language problems. But same can not be said about Mumbai. So do not try to paint trees and oceans with brush dipped in same colour ... So you now agree with me ... Anu

Sid said...

Mumbai is the financial capital of India and considering it is more cosmo than Chennai/Kolkatta the same rules dont apply. Also Hindi is the mostly widely used language in India and Marathi is a local language at best. I dont believe the comparisons apply. The statement seemed more of votebank politics.

supriya said...

i totally stand by you in the opinion..!!

Nirbhay said...

Shobha Tai,

!!Amen !!

!!THIS TIME-NO U-TURN PLEASE!!

Again you threw stone at Hornet's nest.

I have been reading your blogs and looks like you start with this same point of view and then take a U-turn.

PLease don't do that this time, keeping true to your journalist principles.

goodluck said...

Atlast you showed your true colors again. In case the cab driver knows only marathi, then anyone who visits mumbai even for tourism purpose has to learn marathi? Shobhaa, stop travelling all over the world and everywhere in India and be rooted in mumbai and become a taxi driver in mumbai talking only marathi and serving marathi people like Thackerays.

goodluck said...

Practise what you preach. First be loyal to your own people then start preaching others to do so. As a first step, write a good marathi novel with marathi characters. Dine with marathi people, not with the Vijay mallyas or Ambanis or Godrejs. then people will take you seriously.

Anonymous said...

1. Hindi
2. Local Language
3. English(basics)
- Important.

Unknown said...

Hi,I veto your opinion on this whole Marathi issue.In a city with a diverse population as Mumbai,
where the number of non Marathi speaking denizens outnumber the locals such rules are uncalled for.I for one have yet to come across a Marathi manus living in Mumbai who doesn't understand Hindi.Such laws only incite anger &
create rifts between communities.

Pratap said...

Shobha - As always you said what needed to be said. And in an inimitable style.
Perhaps this is your "Molotov Cocktail in Mumbai" after your chat with with Marie Brenner in Jaipur? :-)

We must demand that anyone getting a cab or auto license pass a local geography test.
And also be taught how to follow traffic rules.
These guys drive like they are driving on a country road with cows and sheep around them! And it angers me no end (and I HAVE got into shouting matches with cabbies) when they don't stop at a red light or keep rolling along on the pedestrian crossing. This is NOT Mumbai culture.

sonal said...

I completely agree with you Ms De. If ppl want to operate in Mumbai they ought to speak the local language, understand the local geeography. As someone has already mentioned these guys would never be able t operate in say for example a south Indian state whr language is such a big issue!I think the least ppl can do, when they comee and milk the cow fr all its benefits, is to show sme respect towards its ppl and loca culture and language!Its as simpla as that, no political agenda, just some practicalities and grund realities!

Unknown said...

Here are the facts
1)Marathi is Official Language of Maharashtra (hence of Mumbai). All the official transactions in Maharashtra are carried out in Marathi
2)Traffic sing/boards are in Marathi and hence as per Motor Vehicle Act of 1989 cabies in Maharashtra are required to know MARATHI.
3)Note that the Act applies to whole Maharashtra and not just for Mumbai.
4)If somebody do not like the above mentioned law then challenge it in the court. If unconstitutional it will not stand, otherwise respect the law of the land.
I simply do not get the hysterical reaction of the Hindi speaking people/media.

M. D. Ramteke said...

व्यक्ती तितक्या प्रकृती,
माझं वयक्तिक मत मागत असाल तर मात्र मुंबईतील टॅक्सी ड्रायव्हरला मराठी यावी म्हणून जी आरोडी फोडली जाते, अशी वेळ मुंबईवर यावी हिच मोठी शोकांतिका आहे.
बाकी प्रगती हि ज्याच्या त्यच्या वयक्तिक कौशल्यावर व मेहनतिवर अवलंबुन असते. मराठि बोलल्याने मराठी माणसाची प्रगती होणार नाही. जरा विषयांतर झालं का?
थांबतो.

तरुणाई हि मानसिक अवस्था/प्रक्रिया असते. माझ्या अवती भोवती कितितरि तरुण आहेत जे मनाने खचल्यामुळे म्हाता-यांपेक्षा दुर्गती झाली आहे त्यांची.

Vaudeville of Exhilaration said...

I would like to defer from ur conjecture and thats bcoz mumbai is a cosmopolitan city and the financial and business hub of India. In a place like this knowing fluent hindi wud suffice rather than being able to read and write Marathi.As far as giving license is concerned,a person should be well aware of the places in order to qualify and it hardly takes a months time to be aware of the places..

Rahul said...

Mann....If u have Hindi as Indian National Language why are we bringing in Marathi as a language necessary for Taxi Drivers in Mumbai?????
U know I think every one must know Hindi and English and thats it. After that they can learn anyother language but Hindi and English basics should be must......btw seems very hard to belive that u board taxi's in Kolkata....frankly till date i havent found a taxi driver no matter how bong he is...they can understand hindi quit well...Woaha leave kolkata...Take Sikkim Mizoram Manipur and Meghalaya for example ( I am siting these examples coz u mentioned North East)....every where I have been travelling extensively and ppl are good in Hindi....they dont want ppl to give them direction in nepali or mizo or manipuri...and they can understand english also quit well.....
Now reading your blog makes me wonder ....are you really well versed with the gorund situation in and around India????? Or you just write what you feel like??

Well about getting a DL ......well u never know ...a 15 days drving school and one day test dosnt makes a good driver .....U know this is wht is a classic example of a sterotype Indian...We people want certificates, Qualifications and written documents and trust more on those than really opting for the quality........
A person driving for say 15 years and his DL is not renewed....that wont make him a bad driver...
And about Taxi drivers well....prime requisit is that they must know the place or the city where they r driving....

sonal said...

I dont think we have anyhting against Hindi or English, but the local flavour also needs to thrive and survive!

Unknown said...

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Harish said...

pehle toh... YOU ARE NOW A SINGER.... wowie! congrats... We toh are yet to hear you croon... woh ek hi profession baaki tha de... :) next dont tell me you are going to be on Bollywood playing pakda-pakdi around the tress. though Sachhhi boleh toh you i would love to see you do that...


___________________________________


regarding cabbies.. i seriously think they should ban any more vehicles . Bahut ho chukka.. traffic woes and then parking woes. We have monorail, we have metro, and we have existing trains... also ample taxies and busses and ricks...

Atti shatti hai.

im already choked in this lungless city. Aur kitnaa?

------------------------------

yes i agree with you. people should know the language of the city that they are in. But i feel, very strongly, that bombay is always a special city. And people in Bombay do have working knowledge of marathi. I dont see a reason why anyone should enforce it.

-----------------------------------
Recently, due to my blogdosts, i have started appreciating the language. we need to do something to promote marathi, so that people take to the language naturally. Something concrete to promote the language and culture... where marathi is pushed from a niche to the main stream... like say a hugely promoted cultural festival... Marathi Theater/ lavni festivals etc... That would be a constructive step and a positive one.

the present political enforcements just show that our politicians are a little dabba gul and have vested interests and no concern.

Vaat Laagli Aahe Atta... Politics Madhye.



Politicians are son of the soil??? na na.. they just know to soil... and foil every attempt to restore peace by bringing in petty issues to the fore.

No one wants to take any extraa trasss, just want to do some crass bakwasss.

Jyostna said...

I partially agree with u shobha. Though not mandatory its good for the cabbie to know the local language.

Shatrughan Singh said...

Languages are there for communication. In today’s busy India (especially Mumbai), where people have time to think whether the cabby is speaking Marathi or Hindi? They are always in hurry to reach their destinations. Make-yourself-understand-and-get-lost is all we all want in our day-to-day life; then why so much HoHalla over a language? Actually, problem is not the language but those poor people who come to big cities to earn basic needs for their family and for education of their children so that the future of their next generation is bright. If you want to make an issue out of it, you should write about those incompetent netas who are not able to create jobs in their own states and people are bound to leave their loved ones to give them a good (or should I say kaam-chalau) life. But they end up in a big city whether it’s in India or any other country where their host become ghost and make their life hell. Family proximity and a good job are the last things they can expect in their life, all they get to be dealt with is homesickness and violence from local people. I am not surprised that Indian cabbies (not Chinese or other Asians) in Australia are being attacked when there is so much discrimination in their own country. In schools, we read in history books that there is unity in India’s diversity but I think that era is gone. I would suggest those people who migrate from their states to another in search of a better life that stay where you are, even beg if you are not able to earn there, but don’t come to cities like Mumbai to get humiliated. India is not the way it used to be in last century. Time has changed. And if this is the way our civilized and educated brothers and sisters think and speak, trust me your children are better uneducated. “Mile sur mera tumhara toh sur bane hamara” - in childhood, we used to hear and hum this song again and again, but the fact in today’s India is whenever my sur and your sur will meet, it will only create noise. This is the reason I don’t feel like hearing the new version and whenever it comes on TV, I change channel coz it sounds fake, bogus, and unreal.

V said...

Need to find a permanent and 'agreeable to all' solution. Though not all the demands regarding this language issue are justifiable, the issue has some point in it.

-Vega

BB said...

Hi Shobha,

Lots of flaws in your post...

cab drivers in london, rome or italy speak their local languages indeed but in India we speak 1000s of languages..we don't need another excuse to add to existing complexity...Hindi/English should have been enough for local drivers...BTW, how are Mumbai taxi drivers going to deal with foreigners ? Also, most taxi drivers in Kolkata are from Bihar/UP, so no one would get thrown out of cab for speaking Hindi in Kolkata...

Why not restrict Bollywood doing Marathi movies only?

Why are you making it so obvious that you couldn't care less of this issue...?

I am dead against any suggestion which promotes regionalism in any form in India....

Unknown said...

I dont think its just a question of regionalism. In a fast changing worldd where globalissation is fast changing equations , we stqand to loose a lot if we let go of our roots, local languages, cultures, wherever it might be.Bengalis perserve their cultural identity and hold on hard to it, in the south again local languages are no was a threatened commodity.Mumbai stands the rish as it is such a huge megapolis, with such a large migrant population, i think sticking to ones roots may just lay the ground rules. Ppl are free to speak Hindi and English which they in all probability do, but they should pick up some marathi. When a foreiggggner ges to Fraaance for example, he does pick up sme words of french, to help him read local signs and interact with locals. I think its the same funda.We stad to loose our identities if we let go of our vernaculare cultures and languages.The reaqction of the marathi manoos iss a knee jerk reaction to all that is happening around him.He is feeling marginalised in his own land. True Hindi and English have a larger reach and no one is gagging you, just let the marathi manoos hod on to his roots and identity and dont threaten his existence.

Rahul said...

Loose wat.....u r short sightedness...Bengali s hold on to thier root???? U know this illusion that bengali s hold on too thier root has made bengal a rotting place...Bongs are skeptical to accept anything new and dynamic...they r still clinging on to thier Rabiondro Sangeet and rejected anything new that came after that....Whts with the Marathi thingi...U wanna know it, practice it, use it well enough...but dont force others with u r lingo....and Leave France out of this....France is a country not a state within a Country ok....and hey lady when a foreigned comes to india he/she picks up few HINDI for u r information not MARATHI.....U know if u guys r sooo marathi and all why dont u guys dress like a marathi all time, why the western cloths, why the western education why accept the glamours of west and then cling on to spread the marathi language....( See nothing agaisnt the laguage or the region....)......wht Identiy is Sonal talking about..First you are an Indian 2nd there is no local Identity...But somehow marathi manoos is not understanding this fact........

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Anil Kumar said...

I think the Marathi's are frustrated with huge influx of ill-mannered and poverty stricken people from Lalu's Bihar.

The language issue is secondary as every marathi knows hindi and if he says he doesn't know Hindi then he must be influenced by Madrasi idiots.

You can see loads of Bihari's in Delhi, Haryana and Punjab as well who spit everywhere, chew paans, and sleep on the pavement.


They don't have an iota of sense on how to drive on the road and creates problems for the whole society. The REAL issue is lack of discipline in the society.


It's a human tragedy... manufactured in Bihar and UP and scattered in metro cities like Mumbai and Delhi.


All the problems stem from the impact of bollywood movies on young Indian minds. All the taxi driver's and ricksha driver's role model is either a bollywood slut or randuava. They try to speak the same cheap language they see in the movies. They try to cut corners and break rules just like in bollywood movies to look COOL. In fact this behaviour is not limited to Taxi Drivers alone.

The impact of bollywood movies in the minds of Indian society has created a monster society in India.

This is PRECISELY the reason that when the Indians go abroad they do create problems. The latest assault in Australia is because of their ill-manners, no respect for fellow passengers on the train station, staring at girls and speaking loudly to seek attention....everything they see in the bollywood movies is repeated wherever they go. Off course the firangi's are no saint and do hate Indians for being educated and well off. But the bollywood impact on the mentality of Indians has given them a bad reputation wherever they go.

Just look how desperate are wealthy people from Bollywood movies are. They don't find it shameful to copy an old classic like "Mile sur mera tumhara" and try to show their slutty face on republic day. These bastards in bollywood have hijacked the news coverage on TV...hijacked TV shows...Hijacked the game of cricket...and some IPL sluts have even created ill-will in the mind of cricketers from other side of the fence.

The Bollywood's has created a society which is shameful to say the least. It is reflected in their behaviour all over the world no matter where they go.


Mumbai's problem can be replicated in any city in the world. You just need to send loads of people from "Mera Bharat Mahaan" who are influenced by Bollywood and the results will open the eyes of those who still think India as "Mera Bharat Mahaan".

Unknown said...

I think issue is much larger than the cabbies in Mumbai. Indians
carry multiple identities. There is a identity as Indian, religious
identiy(Hindu, Muslim etc..) , linguistic identity(tamil, marathi,
gujarati etc..) Caste identity (Brahmin, kshatriya etc..).
People from Hindi speaking land equate Hindi = Hindustan (Indian), part of the reason for this could be due to the fact that they have been fed to lie that Hindi is National Language, which it is not. Here is the link
to the recent verdict by Gujarat court validating the same.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Theres-no-national-language-in-India-Gujarat-High-Court/articleshow/5496231.cms
Hindi is the largest spoken Regional language in India, nothing else.
For the hindi speaking people this hindi equals India breads sense a of entitlement over India and the contempt for the other linguistic identities. In nutshell while we, the Non Hindi speakers truly believe in ‘Unity in Diversity’, for the Hindi speaking people ‘Vividhata mein Ekta' is a mere slogan. As one commentator has beautiful put it, ‘This is India not Hindia’

Unknown said...

In the comment above the line 'For the hindi speaking people this hindi equals India breads' should be, For the hindi speaking people this hindi equals India breeds

Rahul said...

I and other Indian dont give one flying fuck of shit what guajart high court thinks

If u ever have studied law here s the thing for Rah....

"Article 343(1) of the Constitution provides that Hindi in Devanagari script shall be the Official Language of the Union. Article 343(2) also provided for continuing the use of English in official work of the Union for a period of 15 years (i.e., up to 25 January 1965) from the date of commencement of the Constitution. Article 343(3) empowered the parliament to provide by law for continued use of English for official purposes even after 25 January 1965. Accordingly, section 3(2) of the Official Languages Act, 1963 (amended in 1967) provides for continuing the use of English in official work even after 25 January 1965. The Act also lays down that both Hindi and English shall compulsorily be used for certain specified purposes such as Resolutions, General Orders, Rules, Notifications, Administrative and other Reports, Press Communiqués; Administrative and other Reports and Official Papers to be laid before a House or the Houses of Parliament; Contracts, Agreements, Licences, Permits, Tender Notices and Forms of Tender, etc."

SO PLEASE DONT BE KID /.......
U dont belive in one language in India and u r talking about Unity in Diversity eh?????
U cant accept hindi as u r national language and u r talking about unity u Hypocrite....I am bong and i learned Hindi,.... When person speaks in hindi to me in Bengal I dont answer him in bengali...and neither do I have an Issue for such a small thing.....Local flavour eh......come on dont kind

Unknown said...

Rahul baba you give a fuck about the Gujarat court ruling because it does not confine to your interpretation of law? That's good way of showing respect for law. Also since you understand law so well surely you can appreciate why this hoopla over cabies knowing Marathi is sham, because as per Motor Vehicle Act of Maharashtra, the cabbies are expected to know Marathi.

Rahul said...

Wel u ask a lawyer about hoopla of law....first of state govt hight courts dicision dosnt means anything so dont be a immature kid....u need to now...secondly......if u mumai motor vehichles is so strngent about marathi why dont u guys dont depend of the central grants any craay u r own developmental work and yeah...before i forget if if bollywood was in marathi .....now would ever give a shit..but yeah i guess i dont need to talk too much too an imatire person like u.....u guys dont give a shit about bihari, UP iests and u wish too have a Marathi a national laguage...so why dont u ask u r steriotype shiv sena to run u maharastra with out any central aid eh baby;.........i dont think u know on whose money yu guys r showing off eh

Latha said...

Shobhaa,
I'm appalled at your write-up. Sometime back you had written that you were invited by some Marathi women to speak to them. You had to sit on the floor & as you uttered a few sentenses in Marathi, you gradually had to shift to 'Angrezi' because you were more comfortable in doing so & that ultimately they loved it because it is how you bond is what matters & not the language that you speak....something on those lines.
If you as a Marathi mulgi born & brought up a Maharashtrian could not speak to a gathering in Marathi how do you expect people from other parts of India to speak the language ?
Moreover come to Mangalore & stay for a few days & you'll see that you don't need any local language really to live here. All Rikshaw drivers, vegetablewallas & various other labour class people as well as educated ones can understand & talk English & Hindi. Labour class may speak broken English & Gaonwally Hindi. That's all. This is the case in AP, Kerala & Karnataka. I do not know about Madras. This is why foreigners find it more comfortable in India than in China because everybody can communicate in a workable English in our country & are proud of it.
Don't judge the people by the politics of the place. There is no connection between the two.

kakaka said...

haha, this is crazy aint it . It gets heated up.
OH COME ON Raj Thakerey, u want to bring back marathi this that bla bla....blahhh.
if you decide to seperate from India today, tht would be the best strategy to retain your identity. But this crap isnt about identity. Raj thackerey wants everyone to invest in bombay, and sell the stuff made here to rest of India a huge market, which he wont be able to do, if mumbai is not a part of India.
2. when you asked him why should ratan tata not be asked to learn hindi. I would reply cuz ratan tata does not wanna vote, nor does he wanna form a political party. which a bihari cab walla would after a few years. Municipality is full of looser maharashtrians fit for nothing, not any different from lallus, this is a fight between idiots. Thts why being an educated BRAHMIN(the most hated word), i dont care what happens anywhere in India.

Unknown said...

may we all should coexist in peace and stop spewing venom at each other.And i just want to clarify a stand Latha made.Some of us have lived cosmopolitan lives and we belong to no place in particular.We are from MP and have had a rootless existence, living in calcutta, madras , Bangalore, Patna,etc before settling in Nagpur.We tried to learn the local anguage whereever we went, but Hindi and English remained the common language.being educated in convents i speak better Englsh tdy than Hindi, whch is my mother tongue.
I think the reason Taxi drivers are being asked to learn marathi, one for security reasons, given the backdrop of the terrorist attacks and an increasingly unsafe world.Again we are talking of the lower sections of society, who need to integrate into the place of work.learning the local language wud perhaps make these UPites and Biharis mre disciplined and respectful towards the ppl whose land they have migrated to.Be a part of the solution or u would be the problem!

Sidhusaaheb said...

I agree with you and demand that it should be mandatory for all rickshaw-pullers from Bihar and U.P. (which could include up to 90% of the total number of rickshaw-pullers in the state) in Punjab, to learn the Punjabi language. :D

Sidhusaaheb said...

Also, Hindi is not the national language of India, according to the Gujarat High Court ( http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article94695.ece ).

Unknown said...

Ofcourse india does not have any national language...the north indian lie that hindi is the national language because they r backward and they r dependent on west and south for education jobs etc.

Before british came india was a sub-continent with different countries all having there own languages, kings and its the british which created british india as one country by merging differnt countries and we need english a foreign language to keep india as one country. This can be seen by the fact that in all state's higher education and jobs in private sector are in english, this keeps india as one country, but will this last for long? i dont think so. soon maharashtra, karanataka, tamil nadu these developed state will use there language in higher education and all jobs and soon all outsiders will have to go back to where they come from. dont think dat this british created one india by forcing english for unity will last long. maharashtra, karanataka, tamil nadu, assam will be an independent country soon if north indians keep forcing there local language hindi on them too. after all east pakistan became bangladesh because west pakistan imposed urdu on them.

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