But Hindi since Independence has made much progress
and acceptance on account of the Hindi Film songs which are sung all over even
by those who do not understand the language . In the Census of 2011 Hindi speakers have increased in percentage
from 41.03 in 2001 to 43.63 in 2011 .
I was a Hindi
enthusiast when I joined Navy since I belonged to Uttar Pradesh I thought that
people should converse in the language which was soon be the official National
Language . I was not aware that my strong views were not shared by many who
loved their mother tongue with devotion and fervour and their Literature too
was very rich. We were Midshipmen on board Beas in 1981 and once during sailing
at night when we were lying in our bunks
my two course mates from Kerala
were incessantly conversing in Malayalam
and so I questioned them as all of us talked in English or Hindi ‘Yaar
why are you talking in Malayalam ?’. They immediately replied ‘
Dhuliya what is your problem! I did not want to aggravate the matter
and so I remained quiet. But much later as I encountered other language related
issues I understood that I should not have any problem .
In 1983 I was posted on board Ghorpad a Landing Craft
in Vizag. We were part of a Squadron and I was tasked to take the team of the
Squadron to Coimbatore for ‘Annual Musketry Championship’ . The championship was for about 15 days. On
the final day I along with other officer were made in charge of the commentary
. I was to speak in Hindi and the second officer in English . A day prior we had our rehearsal
in the presence of the Commanding Officer Captain Iyengar of INS Agrani which was conducting the
event . I had prepared my part and had practised with the other officer and as
I spoke a few sentences the Commanding Officer interrupted and said ‘ No Hindi here , this in Tamil Nadu, only English’ . We
all were shocked, but complied . I was disappointed but relieved as I concentrated on the performance of my
team. But that incident has stayed with me for ever.
In 1986 I was Executive officer of a Missile Boat INS Prabal in Mumbai . My CO was on leave and I was officiating .
It was early September and we received
instructions from Command Headquarters for conduct of various activities
during the ‘Hindi Pakhwara’ and since I was a Hindi enthusiast I issued
detailed instructions in Hindi and planned few activities such as debate ,
poetry competition etc. By 14 September the CO had returned from leave and was
pleased regarding the preparation . He
was aware regarding my strong views on Hindi , I had replied under a
changed name in the Local newspaper in the ‘Letters to the editor ‘ regarding
one article which criticised imposition
of Hindi and he was aware of it. He presided the various activities on that day
and one sailor in his speech in Hindi
stated that though we were asked to converse in Hindi during
this period there were few sailors who were talking in their ‘mother tongue’ !
This was again a very critical feedback for me . The Punjab agitation was in full rage during that time and I had
read that how violent and fatal attacks had happened on the staff of All India
Radio who were conducting Hindi programmes.
Therefore I
realised that ‘Language’ was like ‘Religion’ and people were very sensitive about their ‘Mother Tongue’
which was indeed their ‘Mother’.
My last posting
in 2014 was in Vizag and by this time the city was flourishing with new
Hotels and Restaurants where music played in the evening and this was an added
attraction . One singer ‘Babu’ was an excellent singer and would sing old Hindi
songs of Kishore and others melodiously
. We once called him to sing on a Sunday afternoon after one golf tournament
and he was in his elements . We too jammed with him and during the break I
shook hands with him and started the conversation in Hindi ! He politely
replied ‘Sir I do not know Hindi’. True, many singers in South
may not speak or understand Hindi but they sing Hindi film songs because they
like the music! Cinema songs over the years starting from old cinema have
contributed and enormous thrust was
given by Radio Stations and programmes
such as ‘Binaca Geet Mala’ ‘ Chayya Geet’ and ‘Antakshari’ on TV . For instance
as far back as 1987 , linguist S N Sridhar
had suggested that cinema was the
most effective and pervasive tool in spreading Hindi across India.
Regarding the role of Language in order to
progress Jawaharlal Nehru , who became
the first Prime Minister of India had a
message to the Madras ‘Hindi Sahitya Sammelan’ , published in the
newspaper ‘Aaj’ on 06 July
1937; which stated “ ..despite this we have to remember that languages
are not evolved or do not progress by compulsion. A literature blooms like a
flower ; if force is applied , it withers”. He further says “ our languages should be a cultured language
and understood by the maximum number of people . We cannot evolve such a
language by sitting together and comparing certain shortcomings nor can a few
scholars of Hindi and Urdu do it jointly. A strong foundation for our language
will be laid only when the writers and the speakers speak for the common man
……. Therefore the basic issue before us is that we should build up our
Literature for the common man . When we write we should have him in our mind .
Every writer has to ask himself ‘ for whom do I write?........”
Therefore
languages develop not in class rooms and offices but in the streets when the
common man hums and sings its songs . It
should appeal to the heart and not the mind. Hindi shall continue to grow slow
and steady through the hearts of the
people and not through official orders.
Firaq Gorakhpuri had famously said that ‘ Great
Literature was created in the language of the illiterate’! Tulsidas’s ‘Ramcharitmanas’
and ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ in Awadhi are before
us recited and sung by millions daily across the Globe!
कोई टिप्पणी नहीं:
एक टिप्पणी भेजें