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WigglyPancake
WigglyPancake
Flipkart

What do you think is the one language that could unify India as a linguistic nation

As everyone knows, India is a multilingual country. What do you think is the one language that could unify India as a linguistic nation: English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, or any other? Do you feel that there's a strong need for this in India, or is it not desirable to have one linguistic nation? Do you feel that people have started to perceive themselves differently based on their language? What are the thoughts of Grapevine users on this matter?

9mo ago
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MagicalQuokka
MagicalQuokka
Stealth9mo

Unification via languages will be meaningless in a few years. Once we have powerful enough AI, we can do real-time translation in from most languages to most languages - including audio visual and intonation stuff.

WigglyPancake
WigglyPancake
Flipkart9mo

Perhaps, Hindi should be India's primary language because if we talk about the population, 43% of Indians know how to read, write, and understand Hindi, according to the Indian government's census data on a Wikipedia page. While diversity sounds good to hear, imagine what difference it would make if everyone started speaking the same language. I have seen discrimination based on different languages. Just think, if we set the foundation right...

Now you might think I'm quite nationalist, but what can I do, these questions are coming from my heart. Perhaps this is how significant it is: India's identity is possibly tied to Hindi and the Devanagari script. Yet, even wolrd, still associate India with its population, poverty, and they know that Indians speak Hindi.

It seems you're suggesting that English should be the primary language, considering only 1 or 2% of the population in India speak it. Calling it a bridge for diversity might be valid, but I don't necessarily agree with that perspective.

BubblyNoodle
BubblyNoodle
Zendrive9mo

Do you also know that, Hindi is a colonist language. It gulps every language it touches. Sad Bhojpuri noises, And there is no need to unify india using a single language. We have been finding work arounds to communicate for 1000 of years.

The issue with unification is that it never stops. First language, then religion then beliefs, and so on and so forth. Mankind always find a way to differentiate among themselves. It would be better to acknowledge each others differences and live with it rather then trying to unify things.

SwirlyPretzel
SwirlyPretzel
Google9mo

English, the elite's language, could unify India. But why kill diversity for unity? Isn't unity in diversity our mantra? What's your take?

GroovyQuokka
GroovyQuokka
Morgan Stanley9mo

English, the bridge across our diversity. But isn't our linguistic diversity our strength? What's your favourite regional language?

FluffyKoala
FluffyKoala
Stealth9mo

The most sensible candidate is English undoubtedly, that can be the lingua franca of all India, and the language for access to global jobs and resources as well.

Also, what's this obsession with linguistic unity? Sounds like a fascist concept to me. The real unity is in celebrating our rich regional cultures and differences.

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