Making Hindi India's National Language issue has raised its ugly head one more time in India under the Modi BJP rule in 2020 and we have so many Indians ridiculing English as being a "Sashi Tharoor's Language". What is the need for this ?
Watch this video and listen to all the three points put forward by this lady Palki Sharma
How Sad. Look at the irony. The lady who is rubbishing English, Palki Sharma Gravitas, WION whatever is making her 3 Points in Not Hindi but in Sashi Tharoor's English. I found it pathetic to say the least. It seems to be a case of people living in glass houses throwing stones. I hope she is as eloquent in Hindi too. Or is it a case of the Pot Calling the Kettle Black ????
This is the first time I have heard Palki Sharma speak so have to find out more about Palki Sharma and what her background is. For that matter have not heard of WION either. New to me
Info from Google Search:
Palki Sharma Upadhyay
Born Palki Sharma
29 May 1982 (age 38)
Pilani, Rajasthan
Education Master's Degree in Communication and Journalism
ICG Institute for Educational Research & Development,
Alliance Francaise de, Delhi
Home town Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
Television WION GRAVITAS
This is the first time I have heard Palki Sharma speak so have to find out more about Palki Sharma and what her background is. For that matter have not heard of WION either. New to me
Palki Sharma
Palki Sharma Upadhyay
Born Palki Sharma
29 May 1982 (age 38)
Pilani, Rajasthan
Education Master's Degree in Communication and Journalism
ICG Institute for Educational Research & Development,
Alliance Francaise de, Delhi
Home town Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
Television WION GRAVITAS
Spouse- Sanket Upadhyay (m. 2008)
Children 1
Career:
In 2002, she gave a head start to her career by appearing on India’s largest broadcasting television network Doordarshan as a news anchor, where she hosted for the regional and national channel. She was also assigned the tasks of shortlisting, formatting and writing stories on current affairs at Doordarshan.
Children 1
Career:
In 2002, she gave a head start to her career by appearing on India’s largest broadcasting television network Doordarshan as a news anchor, where she hosted for the regional and national channel. She was also assigned the tasks of shortlisting, formatting and writing stories on current affairs at Doordarshan.
In 2004, she joined Hindustan Times as Staff Writer and wrote stories on civic and social issues.
In May 2005, she entered India’s largest English-language news television channel- CNN-News18 as an Anchor and Senior Editor.
In 2007, she was awarded the Best News Reader Award. She groomed herself as a successful anchor and journalist and moved on to iTV network in 2016.
Currently she is the Executive Editor of WION (TV channel) and hosts the prime-time news programme GRAVITAS.
In May 2005, she entered India’s largest English-language news television channel- CNN-News18 as an Anchor and Senior Editor.
In 2007, she was awarded the Best News Reader Award. She groomed herself as a successful anchor and journalist and moved on to iTV network in 2016.
Currently she is the Executive Editor of WION (TV channel) and hosts the prime-time news programme GRAVITAS.
As I can see she is Young, same age as my Son almost and her research is probably information she found through Google searches in Sashi Tharoors English..:-)
As an individual I am happy and proud that I know a few languages. Born to Telugu parents, a Kalapani in Andamans I know Telugu & Hindi, did my schooling in Madras so I studied Tamil, studied in an English Medium school like Sashi Tharoor and also Studied French and German during my University days. My best friend in Madras was a Malayalee so I understand Malayalam well, migrated to Sydney and met and married a Bengali born and brought up in Malaysia so I can understand Bangla and sing Bangla, Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi and English songs too. However I can read, write and speak only English, Tamil and Hindi. My mother was born and brought up in Burma and knew Burmese. How I wish I had learnt a bit of Burmese too.
My question to Palki "Why condemn a Language that earns you your bread and butter ? Or is it a case of not knowing which side of the toast is buttered. Would she be where she is today but for her spoken English skill ?
My question to Palki "Why condemn a Language that earns you your bread and butter ? Or is it a case of not knowing which side of the toast is buttered. Would she be where she is today but for her spoken English skill ?
I am reminded of an incident in Sydney around 1987 I think . I was there at an AGM of the Sydney Bengali association (considering my wife is Bengali). The President of the Association Dr. Mukerjee started his annual speech. He addressed the members and started off saying this is a Bengali Association and we should all be talking in Bengali. No Big deal I thought as I belonged to the Tamil Association of Sydney as well and people did speak in Tamil at meetings or a mixture of Tamil and English.."No One is stopping you", I thought.
Interestingly he did not get the applause he expected from the Bengali Audience..My reaction was Dr Mukherji You studied your medicine in English, Migrated to Australia because of your education and you are up there on the stage in an Englishman's three piece suit and addressing the audience in English and urging everyone to conduct association meetings in Bengali. Who stopped you ?
As you may be aware Bengalis are outspoken if not argumentative and one member put his hands up and said "Sir why are you not in Indian Clothes like most of us here today and why are you talking to us in English?"
Situation was No different to Palkis Video on Gravitas.
She has three Major Points in her speech (lucky it is not a debate as her arguments would have been torn to shreds)
1- Language
2- History
3- Education
The argument on Language is about Independent India adopting English ....Of Course Look at Japan and China and see how they have progressed without English..she says?
Mmm Have heard this argument way back in 1965 after the Hindi agitation.
I remember DMK's argument was "Look at Japan and Korea how they have industrialised and developed without knowing English ?" So DMK started the Tamil Medium schools in TN. I remember Nedunchelian and Anbalagan as education ministers. Five ten years down the track, they meaning DMK realised that kids who studied in Tamil medium could go no further in life as all University education was in ENGLISH. There were efforts to translate all medical & Technical books into Tamil. Every one knew it would not work and we would be chasing our tails trying to translate everything into Tamil.
Let me share another incident. In Sydney I met the Managing Director of Hyundai-Sydney at a Korean wedding. He was keen on talking to the only Indian at the Korean wedding and we got talking about the Hyundai Plant in Tamil Nadu.
The man had a gleam in his eyes. Guess what he said "People in Tamil Nadu are so clever". I asked "Why ?"
He said "Every one speaks ENGLISH; from the Taxi driver to the Watchman and they also speak so many languages. Not the same in North India.
That is why Hyundai chose to locate the assembly plant in Sri Perumbathur in TN. We Koreans are a bit stupid, We find learning English is too difficult. English is necessary for Business and Industries. Koreans and Japanese are doing everything possible to raise their English standards to stay abreast with technological and medical advances" he said.
We can Blame the British all we want for, India is what it is today because of the British.
Indians Boast about most of the CEO's of MNC's Being Indian. Where would they be but for English ?.
Palki Sharma even mentions China.. Obviously she did not research into efforts taken by China to teach English.. Just take a lookl at this link I found in one second through Google
Forget Asia. Even Germany and France don't dig their heels in and have embraced English as the Global Language to a great extent.
ENGLISH SPEAKING POPULATION IS INDIA'S BIGGEST ADVANTAGE. DON'T KILL IT PLEASE.
History: I have always argued that history depends on who writes it. We have had a recent discussion in our groups on what historians will write about "Covid 19" Will it all be based on Facts ? or Emotions or Political affinity ? Who will they Blame more ? the Chinese or Trump.
Even as I write, three people cannot agree on anything Covid19.
IMHO what we call Culture in general is how man learnt from his mistakes over a period of time and progressed into the future and this in fact becomes what we call HISTORY
My personal experiences form my life history and the same applies to a Country or even the world
Education:
This is a favourite Topic of mine and I can write a book on it. I agree with Palki that India's Education system is antiquated. It is all about cramming text books and class notes and regurgitating to score high marks. Basically Indians education system is not about helping students learn through understanding but using plagiarism to score high marks and pretend to be a high performer.
I hate to say this, I have come across an Industrial Engineer with an M. Tech from IIT who did not know how to change a Flat Tyre. His argument was his driver did it for him so he never had a go. Imagine this pen pusher as the head of a manufacturing unit in India..
Education system is languishing only because the people in charge are Public Servants and Politicians - most of whom are uneducated.
As for Indians Parliamentary system and the Judiciary or even the Indian Constitution, they are all based on the British West Minister Two houses system. Nothing wrong with this system is it ? Can be improved yet we are too busy in rewriting the Indian Constitutions that has seen as many as 104 amendments. were they all necessary for the progress of India ? That is another debate.
Coming Back to India's education system Even in IIt's the Pinnacle of Indians Technology education, the academics have zero Practical experience in the real field of engineering and they produce not engineers and technologists but white collared Paper pushers. This is where the Chinese are different they are like the Germans and hands on.
We can Blame the British all we want for Colonisation Just look at what Language we use for communication. If you post something in Tamil many won't be able to read and understand and if we post something in Hindi many others wont understand.
So English has to Continue as part of Globalisation and nothing to do with being ashamed of our mother tongues.
The world is better off communicating in one common Language. ENGLISH IT WILL BE. Absolutely no doubts about that.
A Better option would be for India to have three languages taught at school English as Medium of Instruction if India is to Grow fast and not go Backwards.
Second Language has to be the language of the State people are Born in and not Mother Tongue. So every one born in or Living in Tamil Nadu should have Tamil as Second Language, Telugu in Andhra, Bengali in Bengal, Hindi in Hindi speaking states like MO and Up, Gujarati, Sindhi, Malayalam and so on, etc etc. This will help them find employment within the State.
Now Indian schools in the 60s did have a so called 3rd Language. This was cursory and a farce.
The Third Language teaching should be made as strong as second language. This way North Indians get to study Tamil or Malayalam or Bengali whatever.
The result is in 20 years we will have a young population who can all communicate in a minimum of three languages.
My Request to Palki Sharma is to sit back and look at where she is and how she got there despite language issues she has addressed, wrong history being taught to her and poor education system in India and what she would do as elected Prime Minister of India..
Are we independent she asks ?
Was she independent when working for CNN ? Does she have total Independence at WION or does she have to toe the line? .
In Conclusion, if I am to find the Key Ingredient required for India to forge ahead Post Covid 19 surpassing China is "Sashi Tharoor's English" that she knocks. But then Sashi Tharoors English is not Spoken English. It is like The Simpsons speaking Shakespearian English
The Rest of the world envies Indians not because we are clever but because of the large number of English speaking India Population and we should not relinquish this advantage ever.
Besides English India has the man power to achieve anything we want. the sky is the limit if Politicians do not steal our skies
Situation was No different to Palkis Video on Gravitas.
She has three Major Points in her speech (lucky it is not a debate as her arguments would have been torn to shreds)
1- Language
2- History
3- Education
The argument on Language is about Independent India adopting English ....Of Course Look at Japan and China and see how they have progressed without English..she says?
Mmm Have heard this argument way back in 1965 after the Hindi agitation.
I remember DMK's argument was "Look at Japan and Korea how they have industrialised and developed without knowing English ?" So DMK started the Tamil Medium schools in TN. I remember Nedunchelian and Anbalagan as education ministers. Five ten years down the track, they meaning DMK realised that kids who studied in Tamil medium could go no further in life as all University education was in ENGLISH. There were efforts to translate all medical & Technical books into Tamil. Every one knew it would not work and we would be chasing our tails trying to translate everything into Tamil.
Let me share another incident. In Sydney I met the Managing Director of Hyundai-Sydney at a Korean wedding. He was keen on talking to the only Indian at the Korean wedding and we got talking about the Hyundai Plant in Tamil Nadu.
The man had a gleam in his eyes. Guess what he said "People in Tamil Nadu are so clever". I asked "Why ?"
He said "Every one speaks ENGLISH; from the Taxi driver to the Watchman and they also speak so many languages. Not the same in North India.
That is why Hyundai chose to locate the assembly plant in Sri Perumbathur in TN. We Koreans are a bit stupid, We find learning English is too difficult. English is necessary for Business and Industries. Koreans and Japanese are doing everything possible to raise their English standards to stay abreast with technological and medical advances" he said.
We can Blame the British all we want for, India is what it is today because of the British.
Indians Boast about most of the CEO's of MNC's Being Indian. Where would they be but for English ?.
Palki Sharma even mentions China.. Obviously she did not research into efforts taken by China to teach English.. Just take a lookl at this link I found in one second through Google
Forget Asia. Even Germany and France don't dig their heels in and have embraced English as the Global Language to a great extent.
ENGLISH SPEAKING POPULATION IS INDIA'S BIGGEST ADVANTAGE. DON'T KILL IT PLEASE.
History: I have always argued that history depends on who writes it. We have had a recent discussion in our groups on what historians will write about "Covid 19" Will it all be based on Facts ? or Emotions or Political affinity ? Who will they Blame more ? the Chinese or Trump.
Even as I write, three people cannot agree on anything Covid19.
IMHO what we call Culture in general is how man learnt from his mistakes over a period of time and progressed into the future and this in fact becomes what we call HISTORY
My personal experiences form my life history and the same applies to a Country or even the world
Education:
This is a favourite Topic of mine and I can write a book on it. I agree with Palki that India's Education system is antiquated. It is all about cramming text books and class notes and regurgitating to score high marks. Basically Indians education system is not about helping students learn through understanding but using plagiarism to score high marks and pretend to be a high performer.
I hate to say this, I have come across an Industrial Engineer with an M. Tech from IIT who did not know how to change a Flat Tyre. His argument was his driver did it for him so he never had a go. Imagine this pen pusher as the head of a manufacturing unit in India..
Education system is languishing only because the people in charge are Public Servants and Politicians - most of whom are uneducated.
As for Indians Parliamentary system and the Judiciary or even the Indian Constitution, they are all based on the British West Minister Two houses system. Nothing wrong with this system is it ? Can be improved yet we are too busy in rewriting the Indian Constitutions that has seen as many as 104 amendments. were they all necessary for the progress of India ? That is another debate.
Coming Back to India's education system Even in IIt's the Pinnacle of Indians Technology education, the academics have zero Practical experience in the real field of engineering and they produce not engineers and technologists but white collared Paper pushers. This is where the Chinese are different they are like the Germans and hands on.
We can Blame the British all we want for Colonisation Just look at what Language we use for communication. If you post something in Tamil many won't be able to read and understand and if we post something in Hindi many others wont understand.
So English has to Continue as part of Globalisation and nothing to do with being ashamed of our mother tongues.
The world is better off communicating in one common Language. ENGLISH IT WILL BE. Absolutely no doubts about that.
A Better option would be for India to have three languages taught at school English as Medium of Instruction if India is to Grow fast and not go Backwards.
Second Language has to be the language of the State people are Born in and not Mother Tongue. So every one born in or Living in Tamil Nadu should have Tamil as Second Language, Telugu in Andhra, Bengali in Bengal, Hindi in Hindi speaking states like MO and Up, Gujarati, Sindhi, Malayalam and so on, etc etc. This will help them find employment within the State.
Now Indian schools in the 60s did have a so called 3rd Language. This was cursory and a farce.
The Third Language teaching should be made as strong as second language. This way North Indians get to study Tamil or Malayalam or Bengali whatever.
The result is in 20 years we will have a young population who can all communicate in a minimum of three languages.
My Request to Palki Sharma is to sit back and look at where she is and how she got there despite language issues she has addressed, wrong history being taught to her and poor education system in India and what she would do as elected Prime Minister of India..
Are we independent she asks ?
Was she independent when working for CNN ? Does she have total Independence at WION or does she have to toe the line? .
In Conclusion, if I am to find the Key Ingredient required for India to forge ahead Post Covid 19 surpassing China is "Sashi Tharoor's English" that she knocks. But then Sashi Tharoors English is not Spoken English. It is like The Simpsons speaking Shakespearian English
The Rest of the world envies Indians not because we are clever but because of the large number of English speaking India Population and we should not relinquish this advantage ever.
Besides English India has the man power to achieve anything we want. the sky is the limit if Politicians do not steal our skies
