What's new

Why Chennai can't and won't speak Hindi

With all due respect to the post and point of view it wishes to put forth, I find it highly distressing as well as insulting that we need to have a language imported just so we can communicate with our own countrymen. But leaving aside all other stuff, I will try to answer to your questions based on logic and practicality :-

1. Firstly Tamil Nadu is not Beiging/Tokyo therefore your argument that people in Tamil Nadu should speak English , a foreign language and not hindi is unfounded.

2. For any country, be it small or large especially for a large and diverse country as ours, you need to have one national identity and it is true for every country on this planet. Does this mean that a bihari should stop speaking bhojpuri or magahi OR a marathi should stop speaking marathi OR an assamese should stop speaking assamese?? No certainly not for they provide the individual with the regional identity but NOT THE NATIONAL ONE.

3. Tamil is spoken language in one state primarily but hindi is speaken in almost the entire country leaving few states possibly in north-east or in south. Hindi is the mother language for most if not all the other regional languages. Therefore integrating Hindi is far more easier than any other regional language say telgu, kashmiri, punjabi etc.

4. English is a foreign language and can be used outside of India to integrate with the world. It is absurd to think that you have to rely on a foreign language even after more than a six decades of independence is absurd at best.

5. Will a kashmiri learn telgu or tamil?? Will a manipuri be willing to learn gujrati?? Will a kerlaite be willing to learn punjabi?? No because all of these are regional language associated with a region. But should a region be allowed to overpower ones sense of national identity. With so much diversification, all of us from different backgrounds have to find a common ground. That can only be a national identy and Hindi can play a big role. This does in no way mean that regional culture and language should not have a national level patronage. But the patronage cannot be at the expense of nation.

6. Furthermore your comparison of Sanskrit with these regional languages shows the extent of your knowledge about our own history vis-a-vis language and impact on culture. Sanskrit was never a mass based spoken language as hindi or any other language has been . It was mostly spoken by Brahimins in vedic or pre-vedic age. It was never a language of masses. Where as hindi is.

7. There comes a time when too much diversification can become a curse rather than a boon for an entire nation. That doesnot mean that i am not for protecting regional identity but not at the cost of nation.

8. Lastly, my view on tamils not speaking hindi is that they do it not because they are afraid of loosing regionalism but to be difficult on purpose. Even when they know it they would not speak hindi just like a common chinese does not wants to speak in anything but mandarin/cantonese. Just like most italians or germans would speak in their national language.

It is sad that Hindi is dragged into all this just to gain political mileage and few votes even by people who are educated and should know about these pitfalls when hindi could have united India like no other while protecting regional identities as well. Regionalism has harmed this nation more than anything else in the entire history of our nation. British ruled and destroyed India's economy, culture and moral values because of the regionalism.

Even today relations with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have been overlooked because of this curse of regionalism. Regionalism has harmed nationalism be it in India or outside and all of you have to do is read and under our history.
 
Because within those States, the de facto language of the people is the local language - the other 19 languages. Its not fair to ask them to speak in anything else in their own State. And those languages are valuable and important as Indian heritage.
But when you cross over the State, how do you communicate? Despite the bullcrap that this guy is writing here, the only viable option is Hindi.
Its nothing but pride and jealousy mixed for people like him. Fortunately, people like him are decreasing every decade.

How many of the 20 official languages are being taught in school across India today? I'm gonna guess the only one. That's the damn problem with accepting Majority languages as the "official languages."

The other Alternatives is speaking the Queen & the benefit far out-weight the con. You never know any Tamil do ya? You also need to understand why some people like him are concerned about the status of their language in a government that clearly support the only 1.

I'm not taking sides just offering my opinion why some guys can be seen as pissed off about the status of their language in a multi-lingual country. Just look at Ukraine before Putin. They accept both Ukrainian & Russian, but clearly support their own language.
 
How many of the 20 official languages are being taught in school across India today? I'm gonna guess the only one. That's the damn problem with accepting Majority languages as the "official languages."

The other Alternatives is speaking the Queen & the benefit far out-weight the con. You never know any Tamil do ya? You also need to understand why some people like him are concerned about the status of their language in a government that clearly support the only 1.

I'm not taking sides just offering my opinion why some guys can be seen as pissed off about the status of their language in a multi-lingual country. Just look at Ukraine before Putin. They accept both Ukrainian & Russian, but clearly support their own language.
English is a language spoken by the few.
The government supports all languages.
Every school has to teach 3 languages .mandatory.
1. Hindi
2. English
3. Local Language - Tamil/Bengali/19 languages

So Govt supports all languages. And in the States, people speak the local languages.

However Its just not feasible to have any other language apart from Hindi and English as the link languages of India. And everyone understands this. The people like this guy are among the very few who disagree. And their number is reducing every year.
 
IMO Hindi should be made the national language of India. English, being a foreign language is undoubtably more difficult to learn. Regional languages are fine but when an Indian is unable to communicate with a fellow Indian, it becomes kind of frustrating.
 
English is a language spoken by the few.
The government supports all languages.
Every school has to teach 3 languages .mandatory.
1. Hindi
2. English
3. Local Language - Tamil/Bengali/19 languages

So Govt supports all languages. And in the States, people speak the local languages.

However Its just not feasible to have any other language apart from Hindi and English as the link languages of India. And everyone understands this. The people like this guy are among the very few who disagree. And their number is reducing every year.

So does in South Africa & them guys seems to be doing fine even though they have like 11 other languages.

Thanks for showing me there's a clear Favoritism on India's education. Just like I said earlier.

People like him are everywhere in the world & they never shown any sign of receding. From the Dutch speaking Belgium to India Tamil speaking Chennai region. You can said them as "the few who disagree" because your not them. You also need to learn things from their perspective.
 
The same thing applies for bunch of northies in a conference with a lone tamilian. Will they speak in English just because Tamilian don't know Hindi?
Hypocrisy
Yes, they would speak in English and I have experienced that too.
I am a north Indian settled in Andhra Pradesh and work in a MNC where north indians are not hard to find.
My team is made of one Northie and 7 Telugus, that Northie never faced this issue.

So, while there maybe exceptions everywhere, it is not a common practice
 
Okay guys, I have been living and working in Chennai for the last 10 months now, initially it was a pain in the ***, I mean the climate+food+language barrier, but now I have adjusted to it. Btw we had no holiday on holi :(

A lot of people here can actually understand hindi but yes there are "ego" issues when it comes to speaking it. You know what, my team members wont speak a word to me in hindi but they go out for bollywood movies every weekend :laughcry:

By the way I hav added quite a few words in my tamil vocab: anna, tambi, sapada, ILLE:mad: . But overall i find people are nice and friendly, except the autowallahs who rip you off.

So leave it be, we can just advise them to speak the language (trust me 60-70 percent localites in Chennai can understand it), but you cant force them.
How do you assumed they know Hindi but couldn't talk? Maybe he understands but not able converse so he opted not to speak.
So if we don't speak in Hindi then its ego but you people will never speak anything other than Hindi...what to call this?

When a Hindi speaking person goes to TN and insists that people there talk to him in Hindi , he is a fool and is setting himself up to be shortchanged. He will learn in a couple of days enough to get him by.

On the other hand, what happens when you want to talk to 600 million other Indians in what is more than 50% of the land territory of India?

Heck the number is far more as people of Andhra and Karnataka also know broken Hindi enough to communicate.

What happens when you want to talk to them?
So lets street dogs as national animals they are larger in number than tigers and also crows as national bird.

IMO Hindi should be made the national language of India. English, being a foreign language is undoubtably more difficult to learn. Regional languages are fine but when an Indian is unable to communicate with a fellow Indian, it becomes kind of frustrating.
As English is foreign language for you Hindi is foreign for most of Tamilians. When you can't learn a foreign language then why should we?
 
Last edited:
But when you cross over the State, how do you communicate? Despite the bullcrap that this guy is writing here, the only viable option is Hindi.
Its nothing but pride and jealousy mixed for people like him. Fortunately, people like him are decreasing every decade.
I do agree when I go to Delhi then I must speak in Hindi and when some Hindi person comes to TN then don't expect us to speak in Hindi again. Why it should national language? why make Hindi mandatory?
 
As English is foreign language for you Hindi is foreign for most of Tamilians. When you can't learn a foreign language then why should we?

Hindi is an Indian language. I think its the most spoken language in India and TN is a part of India. English is foreign,, as in, its an European language.
 
I also want coins to have at least 20 sides. Too bad present coins only have 2 sides :hitwall:
Go through the discussion and get some sense before you post.
I never said one COIN to have all the languages...some coins can have Hindi-English-Tamil some Kannada-Hindi-English
Just as show of real unity. Everyone knows rupees can interpreted by numerals but just as sign of unity? why can't we do?

Hindi is an Indian language. I think its the most spoken language in India and TN is a part of India. English is foreign,, as in, its an European language.
Then stop playing cricket its also English
Play only Indian sports.
 
Not all 24 languages in one coin Mr.genius
Some coins can released as the sign of strength in Unity..like heritage coins.

The people of this state having a good influence in making of the Indian PM should be Unity enough, no?
 
So does in South Africa & them guys seems to be doing fine even though they have like 11 other languages.

Thanks for showing me there's a clear Favoritism on India's education. Just like I said earlier.

People like him are everywhere in the world & they never shown any sign of receding. From the Dutch speaking Belgium to India Tamil speaking Chennai region. You can said them as "the few who disagree" because your not them. You also need to learn things from their perspective.

I have also explained to you that all schools teach 3 languages - one of which is necessarily the local language. If you call this favouritism, then so be it.

I am from that perspective. My mother tongue is not Hindi. I have no problems with Hindi being the primary language. Infact none of the 34 political entities have a problem with that except 1 - Tamil Nadu. And even among them the opposition which was merely rhetorical is now reducing.
 
Sorry, if that were the token of decision making then Sanskrit would be the primary language of India

I am going to debate which is older and native to "India' Tamil vs Sanskrit, even for argument sake if we were to agree with Sanskrit, it like Latin is a dead language and what's its economical or social value ?

Contrarian said:
.
Instead the primary language of India is chosen on the basis of its reach. Tamil, far from being the most spoken language in India is not even the second most spoken language.

Its not about quantity but authenticity and originality , some one had used the analogy of dog vs tiger, let me reiterate, using your logic the most common animal the dog should be India's national animal.

Contrarian said:
.This is rather a fallacy. Hindi is by far the most international language of India.
Tamil might have recognition in Singapore and Sri Lanka.

please provide support to substantiate your claim ?

Sri Lanka is your south Asian neigbhour and are you dismissing Tamil's political, economical role in the region ?

Contrarian said:
.But please bear in mind, that the most number of migrants abroad - all across the world - from India are Hindi speaking. That means you can get by in life by speaking Hindi from Canada to UK.n Pakistan to Bangladesh to Nepal

Tamil in Canadian Parlaiment is Hindi used in Canadian Parliament ?


The majority of Indians in Canada and UK are Punjabis Sikhs , and by default they become Hindi speakers ?

Contrarian said:
.
Today its coin, tomorrow you might ask the Parliament to speak in Tamil as 'show of Unity'. Third day you might ask all Central Schemes to be implemented in Tamil all over India as a 'show of Unity'.

Both are nothing but tokenisms to please ego's and serve no utility.

refer video on Tamil speech in Canadian Parliament and get a life ..no more anti Tamil garbage

 
Last edited:
If Hindi becomes national language then there is no sense of " Unity in Diversity". When you can't live with diversity then don't expect unity.
 
Back
Top Bottom