Reading all the messages I am totally disturbed. It looks like India is already divided and there's no need to divide it. Its a bomb that can explode any day. The rulers (Invaders - Mughals, British, French, Portuguese) took advantage of this limitation of ours and exploited us for over 400 years. If this is the kind of thinking that a person calls himself/herself a kannadiga (or any other regional language) before he calls him(her)self a human being then the state of affairs is very bad and the time is not very far when the unity in diversity will remain only in name and India might become another example of disintegration over trivial issues like the USSR. Very sorry to read the comments to Mr. U R Ananthamurthy's interview. Ancient India was famous for its logic, tolerance, open-mindedness and acceptance of a world view. But as time has gone by the views have got more and more fanatic and fundamentalistic in nature. If this continues it will only end at the nadir of disintegraion of a legacy of 5000 years. The oldest civilisation is working against itself.
RE:Totally Disturbed
by Balaji Chandrasekaran on Apr 29, 2008 12:36 AM Permalink
I am with you buddy. India might have become powerful, more literate but definitely not any better when it comes to sane thinking. Where has all the love and affection we had for other ppl gone. Do we not belong to the same country. Atleast now let us bury this regionalism, linguistic fanatism and hypocrisy and surge ahead as one nation.
RE:Totally Disturbed
by nitin k on Apr 29, 2008 12:35 AM Permalink
India was never one, politically, apart from when by force.. It was one socially, and culturally. It's not about Kannada.. Anybody who stays in a different state (for a duration exceeding a year or so) MUST try and learn some of the local language.. At the least, (s)he should be able to converse in the local language.
RE:Totally Disturbed
by Jigyasu on Apr 29, 2008 07:43 PM Permalink
Socially and culturally one... yes thats exactly what i meant. Thats the meaning of the phrase "Unity in Diversity" - Diversity in cultures. You are absolutely right when you say that we should learn a language if we have stayed at a place for a while. I feel this language learning exercise should be seen as an expansion of our knowledge-base and not as if we are forced to learn an alien language. At the end of the day a language is only a medium of communication. Therefore, no language can be characterised as universally great or lowly. Language like religion, marriage, personal habit patterns etc. is an extremely personal choice. If somebody finds Kannada interesting let him/her learn it... on the other hand if someone else adores German let him/her study that. One language is better than the other is just a personal inclination. As all the languages are invented (??) by humans so choose anything to speak (of course the other person should also know the same language:-)). Thats what I mean by freedom and tolerance towards one another. Why should it become a matter of debate?
