Languages have to be Learnt NOT Taught

As some one who relocated from Mumbai couple of years back, we face a weird situation almost on a daily basis.

The person who manages the affairs of our compact housing complex , has a perennial request to us. To convey her instructions to our watchman  or convey his requests to her.– both ways from Tamil to Hindhi or vice versa.She was not alone.All other residents had the same predicament. Not being able to communicate with the watchman- who resides 24 x 7 , within the complex.

None of them could speak or understand the lingua franca of the Watchman- who is incidentally not fro Bihar or U.P. He is a Nepali .

Added to my discovery was an open admission in our Colony Residents’ Association What’s App group by an Office bearer. He could not convey to the workers of a nearby restaurant , not to dump their waste in our road- Reason attributed, they do not speak Tamil or English!

That is the hard reality – today Chennai is in “Hindhia “ not just “ India”

Few days back, out of sheer nostalgia, I visited an Udupi Hotel in Sterling Road junction.

The bearer who approached me was again not a Server Sundaram like Nagesh. Our conversation was  neither in Tamil nor in Assamemse. In Hindhi, of course.

We had a renovation carried out recently. I could witness the mix of labourers- mason from TN, painter from  Andhra and labourers – many from Bihar, freely exchanging commands and counter responses in Hindhi- with out the whiff of any  translator.

Whenever I take a MTS bus or a share taxi , to commute,I am no longer surprised by either a MTS bus conductor, transacting with a North Indian nor a North Eastern damsel, reaching out to the share taxi driver “ Anna, Leftle Niruthunga”( Please stop by the left kerb)

A new language  is tool for survival, Stupid. Not a cultural subjugation.

My previous generations escaped the horrors of 1967 and could learn Hindi in High School. When I reached the HS,  the Dravidian Third Eye had already scorched the option.

When I had to travel first time  to Mumbai to join a PSU Insurance company, it was a nightmare after Wadi station. You get off your sleeper berth in lungi to scout for a chai or a banana. Ask the vendor, “Kithnaa?” And when he responded  in Hindi,, gave a Rs100 note and accepted whatever change he gave back without  either a murmur nor a clue as to what he meant!

It was more of an Auschwitz in the career.

There was a concoction of pity, empathy, contempt,derision, condescension, etc , when you had to officially deal with colleagues or clients. “Bechaaraa ,Madhrasi hai na? ( Poor Madras chap, ain’t he ?)

The travails continued beyond Mumbai. Was posted in Oman (Muscat). Our Omani Agency owner, my Omani driver, my Bangladeshi Record Clerk, my Money exchange staff, my weekend Odissa housekeeper, my son’s primary School Teacher- all spoke Hindhi-Not to ignore the Indian Embassy Staff ,right from His Excellency the Ambassador down to the Securiy Guard.

My only “unifying language” with rest of India was English, Macaulay’s brand and not Burrah Sahebh’s Hinglish!

As for all my corporate clients, the top 20 in the country, the handicap was similar. Their executives had to necessarily speak to me in forced  English.

In very progressed countries in Europe , common populace  speaks minimum three languages:

They have not disintegrated nor lost their cultural moorings- they must have fought their wars better ,knowing the enemy”s language!

With a vengeance , I learnt to ride roller coaster in my spoken Hindi. I would pick up quarrels with auto drivers, bargain with vegetable sellers, spit choice expletives  periodically.

Six  years back , I addressed the Haryana Police Academy personnel in Sonepet, entirely in Hindi. Answered their Haryanvi Hindhi questions in pure Hindi and received an applause..

As an ardent student of English and Tamil, in all my examination answer scripts , for English/Tamil, including the University exams, I used to preface my answers with the caption:

“Languages should be Learnt NOT Taught”

(or its equivalent in Tamil)

I think, it all the more holds good now.

Learn Hindi, even if they don’t teach you.

It is in fact, it is a much better way to master its use.