I'm still seeing so many posts - rattled at the 'imposition of Sanskrit' as third language.
Imposition of English as first language - which at one stroke created a new caste system of 'those who spoke good English', and 'those who didn't', never rattled anyone. That caste system of English reinforced every other caste system of heredity and of money.
That i assumed had to do with a deep seated inferiority complex, and a tail-wagging appreciation of our colonial masters, their language and all else. I suspect the deep reaction again Sanskrit 'imposition' is the other side of the same coin, part of our deep sense of inferiority.
Imposition of English as first language - which at one stroke created a new caste system of 'those who spoke good English', and 'those who didn't', never rattled anyone. That caste system of English reinforced every other caste system of heredity and of money.
That i assumed had to do with a deep seated inferiority complex, and a tail-wagging appreciation of our colonial masters, their language and all else. I suspect the deep reaction again Sanskrit 'imposition' is the other side of the same coin, part of our deep sense of inferiority.
Aparna Krishnan In
school days I used to wonder how the Arabs wore their traditional gear
to international meetings, though our politicians went suited booted.
Borra Srinivas I agree. But India has so many languages. English is the only link language available to have a level playing field for everyone
Aparna Krishnan Yes.
But first and foremost comes a civiliation's sense of identity and
confidence. And somehow that has got sadly eroded. In just a short span
of colonization ... I still sometimes wonder at that ! But the English
so systematically impoverished us, and destroyed our systems that maybe
it had to happen.
Aparna Krishnan Today
English being seen as superior to vernaculars, youth preferring western
clothes to Indian clothes ... all these are symbolic only, but in
symbols is hidden everything.
Aparna Krishnan Sometimes,
in the history of a civilization, a certain price may need to be paid
to recover confidence and courage. Maybe a common English link would
speed developmet (what development ... but that another line of
discussion) - and maybe we need to put that second now.
Aparna Krishnan And English creates a level playing ground for whom ?? If English were
abolished we would all lose that card with which we proclaim our
superiority ! And the ordinary and poor people and we would have a more
level playing ground.
Sathish Yadav You
are partially correct but English as a language was engineered to
become the lingua franca of the whole world. With just 26 letters and
separation of phonetics from characters, the creation of a
non-compulsory learning of its real phonetic version,
they made sure that anyone can read and write a language with relative
ease. English's original intent of creation has met its purpose and has
no meaning stopping it. The problems of migration from one language to
another has to be born by the whole world, I would be happy if every
other language doesn't die of in that process.
Aparna Krishnan Everything
is loaded - nothing is apolitical. The language we use, the
clothes we wear, whom to and how we speak - all these determine which
group and thought we vote for, and which we vote against. English is a
language of the powerful, and of the
colonial masters. English is simply not 'another language; ! nd that has
to be faced. And abolish English tomorrow - and see how the ground
levels ! I myself have less enough to commend me apart from English -
and were I to lose that edge, the game between me and my village people
becomes more equal.
Kannan Thandapani I
agree with your arguments against English, and for the mother-tongue.
But how is Sanskrit going to level the ground? If anything, hasn't it
been more elitist than English has ever been. And why is any reaction
against Sanskrit imposition considered to
'reflect our sense of inferiority'? It is entirely possible that
Sanskrit is largely peripheral to my sense of pride and belonging, while
it may be central to yours.
If the first language is English and the second language,Hindi, in KVs, at least the third language has to be the mother tongue. Without changing this equation, to have Sanskrit or any other language as the third language is not going to create any level ground.
If the Government has its priorities right, it would have explored ways of bringing about mother tongue oriented learning in the near future, instead of such a hasty step in the middle of the academic year.
If the first language is English and the second language,Hindi, in KVs, at least the third language has to be the mother tongue. Without changing this equation, to have Sanskrit or any other language as the third language is not going to create any level ground.
If the Government has its priorities right, it would have explored ways of bringing about mother tongue oriented learning in the near future, instead of such a hasty step in the middle of the academic year.
Aparna Krishnan I agree completely 
:)
:)
Aparna Krishnan No
need for foreign languages till respect for our own languages is
recovered. Yes, Sanskrit can wait for its turn after the local
languages. The significance of Sanskrit is that much of our religion -
and people are religious in villages - is anchored in Sanskrit, and that
has to be kept alive. Also for secular reasons like Ayurveda - a proper
study of which is possible only in Sanskrit.
Ram Mohan 90%
of our reactions are knowingly or unknowingly political in nature, I
feel. So, anything even remotely related with our vedic heritage has to
be opposed by the so-called secular sect. It has very little to do with
sound reason and is more out of habit.
Vidyasankar Sundaresan @Kannan
Thandapani, there is a lot more to this story than what was reported by
the media in the last two weeks. Firstly, KVs have provided third
language as local language or Sanskrit, for many decades. Secondly,
there is a case going in in the Delhi High
Court, where KV teachers had opposed a move by the UPA-II govt to start
German as a third language option INSTEAD of local language / Sanskrit.
Thirdly, there is nothing chaning overnight in the middle of the
academic year. Please check google and look at various news reports from
2010, 2012 and Aug 2014. This is not something new that cropped up in
Nov 2014.
Ram Mohan There's
no harm if foreign languages are offered as options...the more the
merrier considering it's a global world. However, it must not be at the
cost of reviving Sanskrit which could be taught as a compulsory third
language for a number of years (say up to class 6) and offered as an
option, thereafter.
Borra Srinivas Aparna Krishnan
madam i agree that English has put rural children at a disadvantage.
But dont you think by raising these arguments like culture, vedas etc
will only push them to margins. People who shout about Indian cultures
send their children to International schools but they want the poor to
carry forward our culture. Is that fair? I strongly feel that poor
should also get English education at par with elites.
Borra Srinivas By level playing field i meant the domination of hindi.
Aparna Krishnan it
is very complex, and I cannot pretend to have answers.
1. If 'equal education opportunities' were possible for all, I would never oppose it. that has not happened, and I do not expect it to happen.
2. to say remove English for all, rich and poor, also will not happen. that is just a theoritical situation I am presenting. and saying that only then the power of the elite would get weakened.
1. If 'equal education opportunities' were possible for all, I would never oppose it. that has not happened, and I do not expect it to happen.
2. to say remove English for all, rich and poor, also will not happen. that is just a theoritical situation I am presenting. and saying that only then the power of the elite would get weakened.
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