Hindi Diwas paradox: Language of cultural pride that few Indians can read and write properly in
Arrogant claims about Hindi representing Indian identity ignores the reality that it is a second and even marginal language that is taught and learnt badly.
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“Children studying in English-medium schools are alienated from their culture and traditions.” Thus lamented the Culture and Tourism Affairs Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Dharmendra Singh Lodhi at an event on September 14 to celebrate Hindi Diwas. He added that such children have started imitating western culture.
The minister, speaking in Hindi, offered an example to illustrate his contention: “Our ancestors used to say, ‘asato ma sadgamaya, tamaso ma jyotirgamaya’, meaning lead me from ignorance to truth and darkness to light. But children studying in English-medium schools light a candle and blow it out, moving from light to darkness. And when the cake that is blown and spat on is eaten by all, they feel that they have become progressive.”
The minister seems to have forgotten the images of his own supreme leader cutting a cake and feeding it to his former Bharatiya Janata Party leader Lal Krishna Advani. Social media abounds with images of cakes being cut to celebrate Narendra Modi’s birthday. On Modi’s 71st birthday, for instance, events ranged from a 71-kg cake being cut to to 71 cakes being sliced as well as a 71-foot-long one.
“Earlier, on their birthdays, children used to go to temples, light lamps and have feasts, but now they have moved...
