Languages Divide us, Yet United We Stand?
Languages are an identity but not a classification! A language spoken is one's comfort to communicate, no matter right or wrong. The talent of comprehending with them lies within you. Who, How and What defines classification? Do all the classifications explicit the same meaning and imply for every individual respectively?
She speaks Punjabi, so does her accent sound like one, thereby is she from Punjab? He speaks Tamil, so is he from South? How can one define the origin of a person by the language they speak? Do they realise the offensive side of it? Why are we so ignorant about other's feelings, because they are anonymous?
At a workshop, a girl from abroad had questions for me and that, pinched my conscience hard. Those questions haunted me for days. Though my day to day chores went on to be completed, yet the questions were constantly ringing at the back of my mind. Her questions were, “ I find it absurd, but still I feel people are distinguished based on their language? Why and how does language help you all to classify the origin of an individual? I understand the fact that there are 28 states and development isn't at the same rate, but how does development define an individual's origin? Ultimately, aren't you all Indians, why to classify?”
Honestly, I had no answer! What could my answer be? While she questioned me, I discovered that there are many like me who felt the same, except ,she did become the voice for it.
The workshop had many people attending from various countries. It was being conducted in India and had a large number of Indians present there. The comfort level of communication was prominently confined on the basis of language. It was a very convenient reason to justify and comprehend even though there existed a common language – English. The reason has become a habit, and with growing time we have become reluctant to widen our perspectives and thoughts.
India is a developing country, the seventh largest country by area, eleventh largest by nominal GDP, third largest by Purchasing Power Parity(PPP), with second most population and the most populous democracy in the world. Unity in Diversity, best describes India with vibrant existence of culture, tradition, religion, economic backgrounds and last but not the least languages!
Thereby, languages do not allow us to define classification. As mentioned before, its a medium of communication. We are a democratic country, who gave us the rights to ridicule that practise of democracy?
To conclude, You, us and I are citizens of India. Every individual soul have their right to live the way they want respectively. Is it just, to divide and classify people on the basis of languages? Is it right to surmise everyone to explicit the same notion? Why is it easy to claim “ We are citizens of India” in a debate and very conveniently tend to suppress the very own claim according to our own desire? I am summing up this article with questions, as I believe every single individual has the uprightness to their own vision, and hence leaving it to you to arbitrate whether, Languages Divide us, Yet United We Stand?
