Diversity = An impediment to development?
This has been something I have been thinking about for a very long time and the Indian government’s decision to create (read divide) a new state has instigated me to write this note.
USA, UK, China, Japan, Singapore, France, Germany, Israel. No two countries are common size wise. Each of them has had their own history of foreign invasion, plundering and wars that nearly threatened to wipe out their very existence. Yet they survived. They not only survived, they are currently in the list of “Developed countries”. How were they able to achieve it?
India: The biggest democracy, the second biggest in terms of population, seventh biggest area wise-diverse in many ways-Soil, Flora, Fauna, People-North to south and west to east. Countries bigger than and smaller than us have made progress at a faster rate. Why haven’t we been as fast when we have had abundant resources?
My personal opinion is that having so many languages is becoming an impediment to national progress. Notice something about Indians. Ninety percent of the time, people form their own set of friend circles-friend circles based on language. People from Andhra hang out with co andhrites, people from tamil nadu with fellow tamilians, Karnataka-Kannadigas, West Bengal-Begalis, Punjab-punjabis. The simple reason being comfort with the mother tongue. Some people take this to an extreme level where friendships are based on caste-a further division. There may be people who can speak more than one language but even these, tend to behave the same way.
There is a need for a common national language. There are 22 different national languages in India. So what can the common language be? My personal opinion is English. Simply because it’s a language, which people in India can pick up and understand easily. I am in no way saying that we should forget our mother tongue. There is a need for one language which everybody in the country can understand and speak fluently.
Further splitting of states by politicians citing development issues based on language/caste (when all of us know that the actual reason is a craving for power) will only slow down the development of India.
April 11, 2011 at 6:39 am
Good Luck my friend!!