Hindi Imposition

 Sorry for my morning outburst. I just got pissed off watching a national debate on Youtube. 

I get miffed watching TV political debates on English TV channels on national television. Now, *this argument is a cultural one. I request you not to put a political spin to it and drag this into a slugfest. *

National TV channels invite various representatives – political parties, “unbiased media” ( that word has become an oxy-moron these days), prominent public members etc. 

Prime time National TV debate in an English Channel quickly turns into a diatribe – in Hindi. And cutting across party lines, the guilty invariably happen to be from the North of India, who assume a God-give right to talk in Hindi and expect the rest of the country, of whom an estimated 40% of the population don’t speak that language,  to follow that. 

Either they are outright arrogant or simply don’t know to articulate their views in English. If it is the former, then they need to be thrown out of the shows. If it is latter, then the blame rests solely with the TV Channel anchor and show Director, for bringing in the wrong set of people for a debate in English. 

I love all Indian languages that I am exposed to.  My little grounding in Tamil and Sanskrit, in equal measure, has helped me appreciate all Indian languages. Including Hindi.  But I love Hindi and Urdu out of my own volition. They are beautiful languages on their own.  The exquisite literature of medieval Hindi, with chaste, non-Urdu mixture of words, is honey to my ears. The literary beauty of Ghazals and romantic poetry in Urdu touches my heart. 

But No one forced them on me. Ever. And I will be amongst the first, to push back any imposition of any language on any one. 

Coming into an English channel debate and talking ONLY in Hindi, and expecting the others to consider it their duty to understand and respond, to me, is nothing but an imposition of cultures. A show of arrogance. And I vehemently oppose it. 

Instead, I see a lot of people from the North coming down to the South for work, and making no efforts to learn the language, and worse not even SHOWING SIGNS TO ATTEMPTING. All they come across is a brash version of themselves ordering others to talk in Hindi. This equally applies to any one from the South moving to other states. There is no pride in saying “ well I don’t know Gujarati or Marathi”, sitting in Bombay. Or ordering others “ Hindi mein baat karo”, sitting in Bangalore.

Totally un-Indian, and unacceptable. 

I say this as someone born into a Tamil and Sanskritic background, raised around multiple Indian languages, and exposed to diverse cultures. I have no insecurity about linguistic plurality. India’s diversity is its strength. But diversity survives only when there is mutual respect — not when one side is endlessly expected to accommodate indifference.

When I lived in Bangalore for a short period, I tried learning Kannada. Not because anyone forced me. Not because I became “less Tamil.” But because it was the respectful thing to do. Because language is how ordinary people feel seen. Even learning a few phrases changes how human beings connect with each other. I am proud that I have done the same while in Bombay, Pune and Hyderabad too. 

That effort matters.

No one is demanding perfection. Nobody expects fluency overnight. But refusing even the attempt while enjoying the opportunities, economy, and social fabric of a place reflects a deeper problem — a mindset that sees culture as disposable.

India must stop being ashamed of expecting integration.

This country has bent over backwards for decades to accommodate everyone — religions, regions, ethnicities, cuisines, customs, and languages. That generosity is beautiful. But generosity cannot become self-erasure. 

There is nothing hateful about asking people to participate in the civilization they inhabit. A nation without cultural confidence eventually becomes nothing more than a marketplace.

India deserves better than that.

PS: 

1) And to those TV anchors - if the invitee cannot speak in English, in an English channel debate , then get someone who CAN. Dont impose Hindi on an audience who comes looking for content in English. 

2) To all of us here, requesting not to turn this into a political slugfest here, please. This is purely a cultural veiwpoint.