Language should build, and not break, bonds

Once again, an intense controversy has erupted in the country over languages. The National Education Policy 2020 (chapter 4) emphasizes the importance of educating children in their mother-tongue or regional language up to Class 5, and preferably Class 8 and beyond. However, given the 1369 classified mother-tongues and 560 unclassified mother-tongues, largely tribal, implementing the stated policy is fraught with many challenges.

Of the 121 languages listed in the Census, 29 are listed in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) list, while the 8th schedule of India’s Constitution lists only 22 languages. Thus, a major controversy revolves around defining “mother tongue.” The term is used interchangeably with “home language,” “local language,” and “regional language,” leading to confusion about its exact meaning. Developing resources, curricula, and teacher training for numerous languages is a significant challenge.

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Additionally, some worry that prioritizing mother tongue education might limit children’s exposure to English, which is often seen as essential for global opportunities There is some truth to the charge of Hindi imposition. Nevertheless, post the recommendation of the Kothari Commission (1964-66) to promote multilingualism and national integration in India’s education system, advocating for the study of a mother tongue/regional language, Hindi, and English or another modern Indian language, most states followed a three-language formula which was introduced in 1968.

Hindi does occupy a special space in the linguistic diversity of India by virtue of its sheer size. With over 60 crore (42 per cent of the current population) speakers under the umbrella of what the Census categorises as Hindi, it is the world’s fourth largest language, way bigger than any other Indian language. United Nations Agenda 2030- Sustainable Development Goals number 4 focuses on Quality Education that is inclusive, equitable and promotes lifelong learning opportunities for all. The choice of language is left to the individual so long as both girls and boys achieve literacy and numeracy. What needs to be understood is that language is a tool for communication and every child should learn at least one language in which he or she is able to communicate i.e. speak, read and write, meaningfully and eloquently.

Language experts agree that it is possible for children to easily learn a few languages simultaneously without any difficulty, and they should be encouraged to do so. The importance of English, as a language that provided a window to the world, was always accepted. Incidentally since it is the de facto international language, every parent understood the importance and even in the remotest of places in our country there is a desire to get their children educated in English medium. The United Nations functions on the basis of six identified languages – namely Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. Of course, this does not prevent heads of state and governments from addressing the General Assembly in their own national language.

The Bahá’í Faith emphasizes the importance of adopting an international auxiliary language to foster unity and improve communication among people worldwide; whether it would be English or some other language has to be decided by the global conference of language experts. They would have to bear in mind that language barriers hinder understanding and collaboration, which are essential for global peace and unity. Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í Faith, advocated for the selection of a universal auxiliary language and script, either by choosing an existing one or creating a new one. This language would be taught in schools world over alongside native languages, preserving cultural diversity while enabling effective communication across nations.

The Bahá’í Faith also highlights that such a language should not suppress existing languages but rather complement them, ensuring that cultural identities remain intact. The ultimate goal is to create a world where people can communicate freely and work together harmoniously. In this context, the Universal House of Justice, the supreme governing body of the Bahá’í Faith, has reiterated the importance of this principle in a number of its general messages to all of humanity as well as to members of the Bahá’í community. These communications highlight that the lack of a common language is a significant barrier to world peace and understanding among nations and even within nations. In the early part of the 20th century, Esperanto, a language invented by Ludovic Zamenhof, a Polish ophthalmologist, is credited as being an international language that aimed to foster understanding and communication between people of different backgrounds. However, it did not get universal acceptance and gradually lost the popularity it had gained.

The Bahá’í teachings stress that the adoption of an auxiliary language should not lead to cultural uniformity or be made an issue of controversy at the cost of our children’s bright future. Instead, it should complement native languages, allowing each culture to retain its unique identity while fostering mutual understanding. The hope is expressed that this article would help to smoothen the policy debates and in the interest of Atma Nirbhar and Viksit Bharat foster harmonious collaboration among policy makers and legislators as well as the stoppage of acrimonious debates that are counterproductive. The goal should be to promote quality education and knowledge-sharing for the children in the country and also foster education for global citizenship as emphasized in the National Education Policy. Promotion of Hindi should be left to the governments of Hindi-speaking states and to voluntary efforts. Those who need a link language should choose it for themselves. It may be further recommended that September 14, which is celebrated as Hindi Diwas, may be converted into Bhasha Diwas, a day to celebrate all Indian languages.

(The writer is an independent researcher, social worker and member of the Bahá’í community of India. Views expressed are personal.)